The Predestined Hero, Vol II: The Darkness Rising
by MissZonko
Summary: Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione, Three out of school, one not, continue with a new set of conflicts. Harry throws himself into a new job to keep his mind from the shadows, but soon finds the situation worse that before. Shockingly, Evil has thought ahead
1. Prologue

PROLOGUE

The first morning of his stay in his new house, Harry put off studying for his newts and flooed to the Weasley's. When he arrived, he found Ginny sitting in one of the squashy chairs in the living room reading, and he suspected Ron was still asleep. Mr. Weasley was undoubtedly already at the ministry, but there was the scent of eggs and bacon coming from the kitchen, exactly what Harry had been looking for. Ginny jumped and looked up in surprise as someone stepped through the fireplace, but relaxed when she saw Harry.

"Harry I nearly jumped out of my seat!" She exclaimed, "What are you doing here."

Harry raised his nose and inhaled the smell of good breakfast cooking.

"I smelled breakfast," he said smiling.

Ginny merely raised an eyebrow.

"You smelled breakfast?" she said smirking, "All the way from Godric's Hollow?"

Harry jokingly nodded vigorously. Ginny sighed and laid down her book before getting up and taking him by the elbow.

"Alright alright, better take you to mum," She said smiling,

Harry grinned. Ginny dragged him into the kitchen, shoving him through the swinging door. Mrs. Weasley was leaning against the counter, spatula in hand, reading Witch's Weekly while monitoring the pancakes.

"Mum!" Ginny said loudly, getting her attention. "I found a stray," she said, gesturing at Harry.

Mrs. Weasley chuckled.

"Do you need breakfast Harry dear?" she asked, putting down her magazine on the counter.

Harry lifted a hand up and scratched his head.

"So sorry to bother you Mrs. Weasley," he said, blushing slightly, giving up the joking air he had around Ginny.

Mrs. Weasley shook the spatula at him before using it to flip a few pancakes.

"Nonsense!" she exclaimed, " You are always welcome here, and I know that you have a completely empty refrigerator at home."

Ginny nodded matter-of-factly.

"Alright boy," she said, lugging Harry out of the kitchen by his elbow again, "Lets get out of mum's way," she said. As they both left the kitchen, Harry whirled, catching Ginny by the waist and ducking them into the empty hallway, partially hidden by the coats hanging from the rack on the wall. It took Ginny a moment to realize how close Harry's face was to her, where she was stuck between him and the wall. He was grinning mischievously, in a way that made Ginny's breath catch.

"I haven't had a chance to give you a proper good morning," he whispered, hands still holding her around the waist.

Ginny smiled slightly.

"And what would that be?" she asked innocently, eyes sparkling.

Harry bit his lip. She was so beautiful. They weren't officially dating, or seeing each other, but he was willing to take the risk. He wasn't about to throw away this opportunity, when he had done it so many times before. He leaned in very carefully, and barely brushed his lips with hers. Ginny sighed against his mouth, and kissed him back, a little deeper. Harry pulled her close, and brought one hand up to her head, stroking her hair, brushing her cheek with his thumb, sending shivers down Ginny's spine. After a moment, Ginny pulled away. Harry looked at her in concern.

"Does this mean we're…together?" she asked hesitantly, in a rare moment of boldness.

Harry ducked his head, blushing slightly. Ginny loved it when he did that.

"It does if you want it to," he mumbled, voice partly muffled by Ron's coat.

Ginny reached over and pulled his head back up. Then she tugged at his arm a little (the one that was around her waist).

"I want it to," she said, looking him in the eyes. Harry's face broke into a large, boyish smile. He leaned forward and kissed her deeply. Ginny brought her arms up around his neck. They stayed like that, the morning light from the window above the front door splashing directly on them, hidden from onlookers from down the hall by the coats, perfectly happy not to move until breakfast.

The sun was barely over the horizon on a beautiful spring morning in May, but Harry Potter was not under the soft covers of his bed as he would like to be. No, instead, he sat yawning in a chair in a room at Auror Headquarters, waiting for his turn in the testing room. The testing room was exactly that, a room in which an applicant for auror training was tested by someone or something in order to judge his or her proficiency, so that the ministry would know where to place the trainee. Harry leaned back in his chair and stretched, looking at the room full of prospective aurors. Many looked completely unsuited for the job, and Harry knew they would most likely be sifted out in the end. Harry guessed that many of them had the brains for the job, and had received the necessary newts scores, but didn't quite understand the physical and emotional stress as well. He himself had been relieved, but not really surprised at his own newts scores, owing to all his extra training. He remembered Ron and Hermione's shocked faces when they looked at his paper:

_Defense Against the Dark Arts_

_ Written- **O**__utstanding_

_ Practical- **O**__utstanding_

_Potions_

_ Written-**O**__utstanding_

_ Practical-**E**__xcellent_

_Transfiguration_

_ Written-**E**__xcellent_

_ Practical-**O**__utstanding_

_Charms_

_ Written-**O**__utstanding_

_ Practical-**O**__utstanding_

_Care of Magical Creatures_

_ Written-**E**__xcellent_

_ Practical-**E**__xcellent_

_Herbology_

_ Written-**NA**_

_ Practica/-**NA**_

_Astronomy_

_ Written-**O**__utstanding_

_ Practical-**E**__xcellent_

_Divination_

_ Written-**E**__xcellent_

_ Practical-**E**__xcellent_

Harry grinned. He hadn't beaten Hermione, but he had gotten close enough, he thought, to make her slightly uncomfortable. Hermione had managed to pull the best set of newts in a century and Ron had been not far behind Harry, qualifying both Ron and Hermione for Auror training. They would be applying soon as well. Just then the man next to him leaned towards him and spoke, brining him out of his own thoughts.

"Bloody boring this is," the man yawned.

Harry smiled.

"I wouldn't be surprised if its part of the test," he responded, looking at the man.

He was tall, perhaps about as tall as Harry, with a similar build to Ron's, with brown hair, and hazel eyes. The man looked over at him in surprise.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Harry shrugged.

"Well, I bet if we make it through, there will be many times when we'll have to be really bored while waiting for a battle or a raid or something," he said. Then shuddered. "Waiting is the worst part," he added quietly, thinking of searching for Ginny in Azkaban.

The man gave him an odd look, then reached over and offered his hand.

"Tony Draper," he said genially. "Parents were murdered by Voldemort, what's your reason?"

Harry looked at him in surprise, and saw his expression mirrored in Tony's. Then he understood why. This young man was used to people flinching and yelping when they heard him speak Voldemort's name. Something Harry wouldn't do. Harry reached and shook his hand.

"Harry Potter," he said, watching Tony's mouth open slightly. "Arch-nemesis of Voldemort…or maybe that would be Dumbledore," he added with a short grin.

Tony grinned back.

"I thought you looked familiar," he said nodding. "Your in the bloody Prophet every week," he said in disgust. Harry hoped it was disgust of the newspaper and not of himself.

Harry nodded.

"Ah yes," he said, leaning back in his chair with an air of long suffering, "don't believe a thing they write, its all bollocks… most of it anyway," he said with a touch of heat.

Tony nodded.

"No worries, Fudge owns the prophet now, everyone I know is completely disgusted with it."

Harry smiled.

"Then you and I are going to get along famously," he said.

"Potter, Harry?" came the voice of an auror who had just come out of the testing room.

She stepped aside as the previous applicant, supported by two other men, was helped out of the room groaning and hopping on one foot. Many people gulped, but their trepidation was overridden by their surprise. There were murmurs and whispers and pointed fingers as Harry got up and went over to the woman. Harry rolled his eyes. One would think that people would grow out of the whole murmuring and pointing fingers thing. The woman who had called his name caught the rolled eyes and smiled, cocking an eyebrow. She opened the door and moved back to let him in first before closing the door behind the both of them. Inside, was a table on a raised portion of the room, behind which sat five people. The person in the middle was a grizzled, particularly imposing man with a build like an ox, a hard-bitten face, and long salt and pepper hair pulled back in a ponytail. None of them said anything.

"All right Mr. Potter," said the woman, putting down her clipboard and pencil in the corner of the room. "This is the testing room. We can assure you nothing will be done to you that is too far out of your capabilities, and injuries will be minimal."

Harry sighed. He wasn't intimidated at all, which he supposed was partially what these people counted on seeing. He took off his coat and tossed it against the wall. He turned, but barely had time to register the look of surprise on the woman's face at the array of three blades at his hip, because a new man had appeared in the room about two feet in front of him, and was bringing a gigantic two-handed broadsword down at a slant right at his neck. Harry yelled, and had his own sword out faster than one could blink, blocking with a force that obviously surprised his opponent. The man recovered immediately from his surprise, and was off swinging in the other direction, using a different move. Harry, combat training and instinct kicking in, ducked and rolled, coming up holding his wand in hand. He whirled, raising the sword in a backhanded sweep to meet the other man's with a crash. At this point, he began to realize what was happening. This man had appeared suddenly and without warning and had begun the fight with no pretense, when he had no way of knowing if Harry could fight back. If Harry had been anyone else, he would have been seriously injured. This angered him to no end, and he felt the fury boil inside him. As Harry felt the magic pooling within his center, he blocked and retreated, blocked and retreated, not wanting to hurt the other man. Eventually, his temper got hold of him. He was tired of being pushed around the room, and he intended to tell the judges sitting at their table a thing or two when this was finished. Harry exploded into action, he slammed his sword into the other man's, then whirled in the other direction, mirroring the move he had just made, and simultaneously shielding himself magically from a stunning spell aimed at him by…not his opponent but the woman auror who had called his name. He growled under his breath.

"Expelliarmus!" the woman shouted the time.

He crouched, dodging the disarming spell and snapped out his leg in a sidekick, catching the man he was fighting in the hip. Just as the man lifted his leg to retaliate, Harry ducked, rolled, and came up low. Still crouching, he swung his leg around, close to the ground and caught the auror's leg, sending him tumbling. The man fell into a well-practiced roll, but before he was even finished, Harry was up facing him with his sword leveled. As the man came out of his roll he leaned forward to find the tip of Harry's sword several millimeters away from the bridge of his nose. He cursed, and panting heavily, said,

"I yield."

Harry nodded curtly, but barely had time to lift his sword when he was attacked from behind by a leg-locking spell. He quickly brought his sword out of the way of the man's face and toppled to the ground when the man he had just beaten pushed him. Harry turned over on the ground and faced the woman. She came over and snatched his wand out of his hand.

"Do you yield?" she asked, smirking.

Harry felt his anger mount higher at this point. He wanted to wipe that annoying self-satisfied smirk off her face and teach her to fight honorably instead of behind people's backs. He didn't allow any of the anger to show on his face however. Instead, he grinned maniacally.

"Not quite!" he snapped, catching her off-guard with his attitude.

In the time it took her to get over her surprise he had released himself from the leg-locking curse with a little wandless magic. He yelled and sent a wandless banishing charm in her direction. She dodged, and the spell hit the door, blasting it off its hinges. There were shouts from the people waiting on the other side. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw his other opponent, who was supposed to be defeated, get up and reach for his wand.

"Accio wands," Harry shouted.

Both of his assailants wands, and his own, which was being held by the woman sailed through the air, and landed neatly in Harry's hands.

"_NOW _are we finished?" he demanded angrily.

The man who had attacked him first looked as though he was about to make a grab for his wand or perhaps his sword at his hip.

"Don't even _think_ about it," Harry said sharply.

The woman at his other side was about to make a similar move, when the man in the center of the judges spoke.

"Test complete," he said.

Both aurors relaxed immediately, something that _did_ surprise Harry because they were no longer trying with all their might to win. The man at the table chuckled, while the other judges looked completely flabbergasted. The center man, who was most likely the Commander, got up and came down to where they were standing.

"Allow me to introduce myself," he said in a booming baritone.

"I am Commader Giles Aegidius, you will be serving under me," he said. "I would very much like to know where on earth you learned to fight like that boy?" He demanded

Harry blushed hotly and held his temper.

"Not _on_ earth, that's where," he mumbled.

The Commander roared and Harry heard chuckling. He turned to find the man he had fought limping over, clutching his hip but smiling good-naturedly. Harry frowned.

"My name is Marcus," the auror said, offering his hand.

Harry shook it reluctantly.

"If I hadn't known how to fight, I would be bleeding all over right now," He told Marcus seriously.

Marcus' smile dimmed slightly.

"I wouldn't have actually hit you if I saw you were unable to retaliate," Marcus told him, equally serious.

Harry, still mildly angry about the whole situation, nodded curtly and gave him back his wand. Marcus accepted it with thanks. Harry turned and tossed the other auror's wand to her as well. She caught it and smiled at him. Harry turned away from her without a response.

The Commander came to stand beside the three of them. He looked at Harry, a measuring look.

"What is the extent of these abilities?" he asked slowly.

Harry looked straight back at him, measuring as well. The Commander was no fool.

"That is a question whose answer I have given to no one," Harry said quietly, "not even Albus Dumbledore. I barely know myself."

The Commander paused, but then nodded, he obviously understood that Harry preferred to keep things to himself.

"Well we certainly can't put him with the trainees," came the woman's voice.

"Mr. Potter this is Magdalene," The Commander said, gesturing to her, "And no, we most certainly can't," he said. "You two are relieved," he motioned to Magdalene and Marcus who sighed in relief, "Call in Joel and Hunter as replacements. You may go as well Mr. Potter, you will be notified as to where you will be placed within a week."

Harry nodded, temper still high-strung and took his coat from the wall. He walked out of the room to find everyone staring at him with varying degrees of shock and amazement. Many were eyeing his blades with trepidation, but what most of them were wondering was how he had managed to single-handedly beat two aurors and barely break a sweat. Harry avoided these stares and crouched, lifting the door that had fallen flat on the floor, and placing it back in its frame. He walked through the room of people, nodded once to Tony, who grinned and gave two thumbs up, and left.

A few months later… 

"…Everyone please rise, the honorable Amelia Bones presiding…"

Harry stood with a sigh, wishing that this could be over quickly. He looked around the courtroom, recognizing several people, the foremost being Albus Dumbledore, who sat in one of the front rows. At the front of the room, on the raised platform that held the judge and the witness stand, sat Draco Malfoy, chained loosely to the large chair that Harry had once sat in. Draco looked tired and unhappy, but without the haggard look of most prisoners, because the dementors had long since left Azkaban. Draco in particular had been held in a private area inside the ministry in protection from vengeful underlings of the dark lord. The two young men met eyes for a second, and Harry nodded confidently. He was going to make sure that Draco did not suffer more consequences of his actions than were due.

"How exactly, did you manage to get into this room you speak of, in Azkaban, without being seen?" asked the barrister.

"I found a secret passage which, luckily," he said with a small smile, "lead into the room from behind everyone," he said without hesitation.

Even though it was a lie, Harry felt Dumbledore's approval, without looking at him. It would not do to inform the court of his animagus form. That information was better left contained to the smallest amount of people possible. From the day Dumbledore had registered him, he had requested the information be confidential, and be kept from anyone who did not have specific permission from Harry.

"And when Mr. Malfoy Junior happened to turn and see you, what then did you do."

"I had of mild heart-attack and shook my head, hoping that he would for some reason, not sound the alarm."

The barrister nodded.

"And what happened then," he asked.

"Draco did something that surprised me very much. He walked away, through the crowd of other deatheaters, until he was somewhere on the other side of the room. I don't quite know where because there were too many people to see," Harry elaborated.

"He then began to shout. He said 'My Lord, someone is over here'" Harry quoted.

The people in the courtroom murmured for a moment at the sound the words 'My Lord'.

"Silence!" shouted Amelia Bones.

The room quieted immediately.

"And what then happened?" asked the barrister.

"Everyone in the room ran to where Draco was standing. It diverted Voldemort's…" there was a collective gasp, "attention, and left me a perfectly clear opening in which to reach Ms. Weasley." Harry said.

The barrister nodded.

"Have you anything more to say, Mr. Potter?" he asked.

Harry nodded.

"It is very clear to me, ladies and gentlemen, that the actions of Mr. Malfoy Junior were quite clearly and unmistakably intentional, and that he purposefully attempted to create a diversion in the best interest of me, Ms. Weasley, and therefore indirectly, the interests of the ministry. It is my belief that he is our ally and possibly friend, and that the ministry should not make a bad example by giving him more than the necessary punishment," Harry glared very heavily at minister Fudge. "The fact that he aided in the rescue of Ms. Weasley will surely excuse some of his previous indiscretions," Harry said. He looked at Dumbledore, he gave him the most subtle of raised eyebrows, as if to say, "You could not be more full of shit Harry, but good job." Harry raised an eyebrow in response, then turned his gaze to Draco, who was looking entirely flummoxed by his speech.

"Very well Mr. Potter," stated Amelia Bones, "you may return to your seat."


	2. Chapter I

CHAPTER I

Harry woke with a start in the wee hours of morning, having been jolted out of his sleep by a harmless, though peculiar dream in which he had failed to make auror status. The dream itself reminded him of why he was awake so early in the first place, the reason being that he had to go up to Auror Headquarters to sign a final agreement that would give him an official auror title. It was late August, ordinarily much too early for someone recruited at the beginning of July to achieve full auror status, but Harry had already had all the skills, and had spent the last month and a half brushing up on everything and fine tuning a few aspects of his previous training to satisfy several skeptical officials. He sighed and attempted to stretch without waking up the petite red-headed figure who had currently slung herself ungracefully over him and was sleeping like a log. Despite the unflattering position, Harry decided she was definitely the most beautiful woman in the world. He sighed and kissed the top of her head, wriggling carefully out from under her meanwhile attempting not to wake her. Harry got off the bed and changed from his pajamas into the extra set of clothes he had brought with him to the Burrow. He had stayed two nights at the Weasley's house out of sheer boredom, and surprisingly, Mrs. Weasley had allowed him to sleep in Ginny's room without too much of a fuss, as long as she personally didn't catch them dressed in less than was necessary or doing anything indiscreet. Harry had been delighted at how open-minded she had been about the whole matter, although he suspected that not only was Mrs. Weasley anxious to make sure someone was around to prevent her youngest child from being kidnapped again, but also that Ginny might have had a scathing talk with her mother about how she was no longer a child. Ron had hinted at something of the like. All the same, Harry had hastened to assure her that nothing incredibly indiscreet would be taking place under her roof whether she was there to witness her or not. At this she had smiled with a touch of relief, and had thanked him profusely for being so considerate. Harry made his way down the stairs blearily, skipping the squeaky step in the middle, and continuing on down to the kitchen, to find Mrs. Weasley already up, drinking coffee and reading the Daily Prophet.

"Mrs. Weasley, no matter how hard I try to come in and start the coffee for you, you always seem to beat me to it," he said smiling.

Mrs. Weasley looked up from the paper. She smiled in a motherly way.

"Nonsense Harry, It's your big day! Of course I have to be up before you!"

She put down her paper and got up, going to the counter and summoning two peaces of bread from the already sliced loaf in the breadbasket. She popped them in the toaster (one of the more useful modified muggle inventions that Arthur had given her, although she would never admit it) and waved her hand at him.

"And it's Molly," she said, getting out the butter.

Harry shook his head.

"I can get that," he told her, as she tried to reach for the tea in the top shelf of the cupboard. He was a good eight inches taller than his surrogate mother. He handed her the tea and went over to the toaster, summoning a plate, and a butter knife.

"Is this for me?" he asked.

Molly nodded, getting out eggs, bacon, frying pan, bowl, spoon, spatula, and various other ingredients. With a wave of her wand the pancake ingredients came flying out of their respective cupboards and began mixing in the bowl, while she set the pan on the stove a put a little butter in bottom for eggs and bacon.

"I don't suppose you have enough time for a real breakfast?" she asked, bustling around.

Harry shook his head, mouth full of toast.

"Well I'll make lunch then too," Mrs. Weasley said.

Harry chuckled. Molly always felt the need to compensate for those proper meals he missed. She ignored his chuckling with an air of 'mother knows best' in good humor. When Harry had finished his toast he gulped down his tea and went into the hall to grab his coat. He came back into the kitchen, pecked Mrs. Weasley on the cheek, which pleased her to no end, and left for Headquarters.

The Commander's office was occupied only himself, his secretary, and two aurors as witnesses. When Harry arrived, the Commander ordered him to sit and motioned to his secretary Agnes Erlington.

"That's what you sign," Aegidius rumbled gesturing at the form on the clipboard handed to him by the secretary. He nodded and read it over. It stated mostly what he'd already read and signed, then asked for a confirmation signature. Harry grinned as he signed. He could officially fight without being withheld by Mrs. Weasley or Dumbledore or Remus. He handed the secretary the clipboard when he was finished. The Commader clapped his hands and got up from his seat, taking off of it a crimson velvet box. He walked over to Harry.

"Then, without further ado a bestow on you the title of Auror for the British Auror Division."

He opened the box and removed from it a gleaming gold badge of a crossed sword and wand. Set at the base of the wand was a small very high-quality pearl, and at the hilt of the sword was ruby.

"The pearl signifies endurance and emotional stability, and the ruby signifies intuition, intiative, loyalty and courage," said the Commander. "All aspects we hope to see in our aurors. Every auror receives a different combination of gems that best suits their nature when it comes to fighting. The badge is of course, ceremonial, for banquets and things," he added.

Harry took it from the Commander's hands and admired it. Jewelry was not his specialty, but it was undoubtedly high quality and quite beautiful. He was proud of what his gems signified, although he wasn't so sure about the emotionally stable part. Perhaps he was a good actor. The commander handed him the red velvet box. Harry placed the badge back in its case and tucked the box inside his coat. The Commander held out his hand.

"Congratulation's Mr. Potter, we are most certainly glad to have you with us," he said.

Harry nodded. He turned to the door, about to leave.

"Report here and ten o'clock tomorrow morning, we will see to it that you have a shower key and a locker. We have a three hour practice sessions every day to make sure you don't forget everything by the time your needed, not that you would forget," the Commander told him.

Harry nodded, smiled and gave his thanks, just as he was leaving, he turned.

"Uh, Commander Aegidius, sir?" he asked.

The Commander turned questioningly.

"Are all aurors required to attend the banquets?" Harry asked

The Commander's chuckle rumbled around the room.

"Nice try Potter," he said, "Yes all aurors are expected to attend."

Harry sighed, and nodded his head in resignation.

He left the building and stepped out into Diagon Alley for a stroll before going home. He passed a florist shop on the way and stopped. Struck with a sudden idea and good mood, he stepped inside. Half and hour later he emerged frazzled and confused, having been swept up into a ritual of picking and choosing and getting the right things for the right person, holding three bouquets, one for Mrs. Weasley, Hermione, and Ginny. Smiling, he headed back to the Burrow.

When Harry arrived back at the Burrow, it was still only nine o'clock, but Ginny, Ron and Hermione were all awake and sitting at the kitchen table finishing their breakfast. Harry walked in, causing quite a stir with what he held in his arms. He handed one to Mrs. Weasley, then Hermione, and last of all Ginny. All women cooed and giggled and stuck their noses in the flowers to catch their scent. Ginny's had been comprised of different lilies, like pink flushed Asiatic lilies with their little freckled petals and crisp white calla lilies, while Hermione's had been a arrangement of white tulips, pink roses and sprinkled with baby's breath and miniature daisies. Mrs. Weasleys was a sunny arrangement of Viking poms, yellow roses and asters.

"Full points to you Harry," Ron told him sleepily over a bowl of cereal.

Harry grinned.

"Ah yes but you haven't seen what prompted me to buy the flowers," he said to Ron.

He reached into his coat and pulled out the red velvet box and handed it to Ron. His friend put down his spoon and took it curiously and opened it.  
"Blimey mate…" Ron trailed off.

Hermione stopped looking at her flowers and looked over Ron's shoulder. She squealed and clapped her hands.

"Harry that's wonderful… look how beautiful it is!" she said softly, showing Ginny and Mrs. Weasley.

Both murmured appreciatively.

"The pearl is for endurance, and emotional stability and the ruby is for intuition, initiative, loyalty and courage," Harry recited. "Every auror gets different gemstones."

Hermione and Ginny both hugged him and Mrs. Weasley cooed and began running around.

"Oh we must celebrate! We'll have the whole family over for dinner!"

Harry chuckled and shared a look with Ron.

The next morning at ten o'clock Harry was shown the door to the locker room by the commander. He was given a small blue key for the showers, a locker number, and a magical combination to unlock the locker. The Commander clapped him on the back.

"Some of the blokes feel the need to 'initiate' the new aurors, the 'rookies' as they call them," the Commander told him. "This often results in a few minor injuries for the new auror so if any of them try it with you, you have my permission to…convince them of your own proficiency in a manner that you feel best expresses your abilities," said the Commander. He winked, and left Harry standing outside the door to the lockers. '…convince them of your own proficiency in a manner that you feel best expresses your abilities," seemed to be code for, 'don't let them give you any shit, pop 'em one in the face.' Harry grinned. _I could do that._ He thought. Harry arranged his expression into what could be described as anything but a scared little rookie and pushed through the swinging door, adding a little swagger to his walk. The room was full of aurors changing, only the men, as this was the men's side, some just arriving, others just finishing changing into their uniforms. Many stared as he walked by. Harry nodded to a few that he recognized from the Order and found his locker. Sitting in front of it was his auror uniform, a small device that looked like a miniature muggle beeper, and clasped onto ones belt, fingerless combat gloves, a belt with wand and sword holster, and a pair of heavy boots in his size. Harry already owned everything besides the uniform, his gloves were tucked in a pocket of his coat, his blades at his hip, his belt around his waste and of course, his boots. Harry opened his locker by muttering the combination spell, and removed his jacket, placing it inside the locker along with the extra boots, gloves and belt. He then took the first article of clothing off the little pile that was his uniform. All the clothing was black, made of some tough but flexible material. It resembled a SWAT uniform from the muggle movies in Harry's opinion. The pants had several big cargo pockets and cinched at the ankle so that they could be tucked inside the boots. The shirt attached to the pants with buckles so that it did not come loose and zipped up the front. It had removable long sleeves with pockets on either arm and a collar that could be flipped up and zipped closed to cover the neck. He put down the uniform and removed his shirt, and put on the black undershirt provided as well. By this time, the word seemed to have spread that there was a new man in the room, and as he unbuckled his belt he felt a tap on the shoulder. He lay down his belt on the bench in front of his locker and turned to find a built and seasoned looked man already in combat clothing sizing him up and down. He was no taller than Harry, but had a build more like Charlie Weasley, much broader. Harry hoped he didn't want to make trouble, he wasn't in the mood for making enemies his first day.

"I'm Guy," he said, amiably enough, offering his hand. Harry suspected that this man was in some way a leader; he probably was the most war seasoned and confident of the bunch. Harry shook his hand firmly, a way of letting him know he was confident of himself, although in reality he wasn't but he wasn't about to let this man know that. Guy raised an eyebrow at the handshake he received.

"It's tradition to make trouble for the rookies the first few days of practice," Guy told Harry. There were conspiratorial chuckles around the room. "But the Commander seemed to think we would not want to get on your bad side. He didn't tell us who you were, only that our 'tricks' as he calls them, won't work on you"

Guy placed his hands on his hips and looked at Harry, clearly not willing to budge until he'd had an explanation. Harry tried to hide the gratified flush for the Commander that rose in his cheeks. He sighed, and continued undressing.

"I'm Harry," he told the man named Guy.

"Does Harry have a last name?" Guy asked.

Everyone else looked at him, but, out of some divine power, Harry was spared having to answer.

"Oh come now!" came a deep voice. Harry looked around, and his eyes lit upon Kingsley Shacklebolt. He grinned, glad to have found a friend.

"How many people," continued Kinsley, "Are named Harry, and have black hair and green eyes and come with a high recommendation from someone so prestigious as Commander Aegidius?" Kinsley said loudly, so everyone could hear.

Harry rolled his eyes and scratched his head, wishing the older auror didn't have such a flair for the dramatic. Kingsley walked over and put a hand on Harry's shoulder grinning down at him annoyingly. Harry mock-glared, knowing the man was doing this on purpose. Guy looked surprised, and then comprehension dawned. He laughed, Harry sighed in relief; it looked as though he might scrape through without a confrontation.  
"Harry Potter, in the flesh!" said Guy loudly.

Everyone stared for a few seconds.

"Well?" Boomed Kingsley, "What are you all looking at?"

It seemed that Kingsley was a little more intimidating than Guy. Guy saluted him, and left. Harry looked up at the Order member that used to be part of his escort from the Dursley's.

"How you been Shacklebolt?" he asked grinning.

Kingsley chuckled.

"Glad to see you made it Potter, you better finish getting dressed though or you'll be late."

Harry nodded and waved to his friend before turning. He put on the pants, tucked in the shirt and connected the straps and clasps, so that it formed a sort of jump suit. He threaded his belt through the loops and arranged the blades at his hip, securing his wand in its holster. Rummaging around in the numerous pockets of his coat he found his fingerless dueling gloves that Merlin had sent him along with the trench-coat and tucked them in his belt. Lastly he put his boots back on, cinching the ankles of his pants closed and tucked them in his shoes. He locked his jacket, and the rest of the un-needed clothes in the locker, and tucked his shower key in his pocket. Picking up the strange little device, he followed everyone else out of the door, tapping an auror near him on the shoulder as he caught up with the group. The man turned as they walked.

"What is this?" Harry asked, holding up the little beeper-like device.

"It's an emergency portkey and a summoner. Tells you when your needed and where, for emergencies and the like," the man said.

Harry nodded in thanks, noting that the man wore his own at his hip. He mimicked this, clasping it to his belt and followed the group. They seemed to be going out into a multi-purpose training area. Harry soon discovered that not the entire British Auror Division of London met on the same day. Mondays were reserved for the first and second companies, Tuesdays for the third and forth and on down the line. There were ten companies all together and each was commanded by a company captain. The companies consisted of twenty-five men and women and were a careful mixture of specialists and people of different talents so that each group had a fair amount of variety and skills. Harry had been placed in the first company, under captain Connor Holten. After being introduced to everyone in his company and explaining that he would rather use his own gloves, boots, belt, and blades, he was set with a partner for a long session of training. It was a going tiring day.

"Block…thrust, good now parry again….and ATTACK!" shouted the Connor circling the sparring match like a hawk. "Come on Harry your holding back, finish him before you tire yourself out!"

Harry sighed.

"Whatever the majesty commands!" Harry shouted, raising a chuckle from the watching first company, blocking Guy's downward sweep easily.

Harry had been holding back the entire time, feeling that it would better to not beat the man by too much the first day lest he might get on the bad side of his fellow aurors. He parried another thrust by Guy, then feinted to the right. As Guy made the move to block the attack he thought was coming Harry swung his sword around in the mirror image of the move he had pretended to make. Guy brought up his sword barely in time to block, but his grip was unsteady. Harry stepped in close to him, hooked his heel behind Guy's and yanked with his foot simultaneously slithering his sword tip around his opponent's blade. The result was that Guy fell, and his sword was pried from his fingers and sent flying. He landed in the dirt with a grunt. Harry presented his sword at the fellow auror's neck, grinning. Guy held up his hands, his face an odd mixture of scowl and a smile. Harry sheathed his sword and stepped back, offering the fallen man a hand. Guy accepted it, and got up, groaning.

"My rear end'll be sore for weeks after that," he grumbled.

"Excellent!" called Connor walking into the combat ring. "Potter how on earth did you do that? I've never seen someone move so fast in my life!" he muttered in Harry's ear. There were murmurs of the same thing the captain was thinking around the ring. Harry blushed and avoided the question, turning to Guy.

"You owe me a drink, if I'm not mistaken," he said smiling.

"Here here!" shouted one of the aurors. "What about us as well?"

Guy waved his hand dismissively and grasped Harry by the shoulder, steering him towards the locker rooms.

"Alright alright," he grumbled, "But you lot can fend for yourselves!" he shouted over his shoulder.

There were good-natured grumbles as everyone made for the showers, Harry and Guy ahead of the group, discussing the pub they wanted to go to. Harry smiled as he went in, glad to have made a few friends.

"Wotcha Harry!" came a voice from behind him.

Harry turned, grinning, knowing who he would see.

It was Tonks, with platinum blonde spiked hair with magenta highlights in it, looking happy, tan and fit as ever.

"Tonks!" he exclaimed, giving her a huge embrace.

She slapped his back smiling and pulled away, walking along with the crowd.

"How have you been?" she asked, "I haven't seen you in forever!"

Harry smiled.

"I've been alright," he said, a small shadow flickering across his face. "I've made some friends here though so that's good," he said.

Tonks grinned.

"Yeah, Second Company's hearing all about the new guy that First Company got and we were all really curious to see who you were. I heard they let you skip training!" she exclaimed in amazement.

Harry nodded.

"It's because of, well I don't know if Dumbledore ever told you…" he began.

Tonks nodded.

"Most of the…our group knows," Harry knew she had been about to say Order, but had refrained.

At that moment the reached the door to the men's locker room,

"Coming for drinks?" Harry asked, "I just beat Guy, he's buying for me."

Tonks chuckled.

"Sure I'll come."

Harry grinned,

"Great, see you there."

They waved to each other and Harry disappeared through the door. When he got into the showers he was confronted by a large group of curious men.

"You know Tonks Potter?" one of them asked.

Harry nodded.

"Yeah Tonks and I go way back," he told them.

They all groaned in envy.

"She's a right beautiful piece of arse that one is," came an exclamation from someone.

Harry stared at all of them.

"Are you two…" one asked him.

"What?" Harry asked loudly. "No of course not, Tonks was part of my advance guard whenever I had to go anywhere from my relatives house!" He said. The thought of him and Tonks being involved was…well it was _weird_.

He started undressing, grabbing a towel and heading to an empty showerhead. He hung his towel on the wall and turned on the hot spray of water. A man next to him elbowed him.

"Think you could hook me up?" he asked with a wink and a grin.

There were shouts of "Hey!" and "No fair!" around the room.

Harry shook his head.

"You lot are on your own with that one, she's way out of your league!" he called.

"You'll pay for that Potter!" came a shout from a separate shower cubicle.

All in all, the day turned out quite well.


	3. Chapter II

CHAPTER II

Harry, Ron and Hermione, along with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley stood in Kings Cross Station on Platform nine and three-quarters. True to his word, Dumbledore had reopened Hogwarts in time for the new school year, and as usual, the Hogwarts Express sat next to the platform billowing steam on September first. Harry helped Ginny with her trunk, heaving it onto the train for her. The whistle blew, and Ginny looked at him rather teary-eyed, head girl badge glinting on her sweater.

"I'll miss you," she told him.

Harry pulled her close and kissed her.

"Don't worry, you'll see me sooner than you think," Harry whispered to her.

Ginny opened her mouth in confusion, but before she could speak the whistle blew again, a little more urgently. She sniffled, kissed him again, and ran to the door of the train, where she stopped and waved. Harry blew her a kiss and smiled as the train began to move. Seeing this, Ginny gave him a last look, and retreated inside the train, shutting the door behind her.

Hermione and Ron came up behind him as he pulled a piece of parchment out of the pocket of his coat. They watched the train leave.

"Are you going to do it?" Hermione asked him

"Well, seems as though I'd be putting Dumbledore in a bit of a tight spot if I didn't," Harry said.

He felt Hermione's gaze of approval.

"You'd have been better suited for the job if you ask me," Harry told her, eyes still following the train.

"Yes well I'm in auror training, can't just drop out of that now can I?" Hermione asked.

Harry turned and nodded, unfolding the parchment in his hand and rereading the note addressed in green ink with loopy handwriting.

_Dear Harry,_

_ I have recently been confronted with a rather impossible dilemma. The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who was scheduled to teach this year has unexpectedly fallen ill, leaving me with an unfilled position. I have been unable to find a willing replacement, and it seems that the only available and proficient possibility is you. I realize this may be putting you in a rather impractical position, but please do not hesitate to refuse. Would you consider signing a one-year contract for the position as the DADA professor here at Hogwarts? I am convinced that you are properly qualified for the job if this is one of your concerns, you would be doing me a great favor by accepting. Many thanks for the trouble,_

_Sincerely, _

_ Albus Dumbledore_

Taking a muggle ball-point pen out of his pocket Harry braced the letter against a column and scribbled:

_I must be insane, see you at the feast,_

_Harry_

He gave it to Hedwig, who was resting on his shoulder where she had brought him the letter only thirty minutes beforehand and turned to Ron and Hermione.

"Better get home and pack," he told his friends.

Ginny sighed morosely and listened the end of the Sorting. As the clapping died, Dumbledore rose from the staff table for the customary pre-banquet speech.

"Ladies and Gentlemen welcome to another year at Hogwarts, we are very happy indeed to see the school up and running!"

There was scattered enthusiastic applause. Ginny smiled appreciatively, despite her dour mood.

"I know that you are all very anxious to eat so I will make this short. Mr. Filch, our…gracious caretaker," there were snickers, "wishes me to remind you that the Forbidden Forest is…forbidden. Also extendable ears and several other Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes products have been banned from school campus, you may consult the list posted outside Mr. Filch's office for more details."

Ginny grinned, knowing Fred and George would be pleased, and shared a knowing look with Colin Creevey.

"Also I am sorry to say that the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who was supposed so teach this year has fallen ill, but luckily," he raised his voice over the concerned murmurs, "I have been able to find a replacement, although he isn't here at the moment…" but just as Dumbledore said that, someone burst through the doors of the great hall, looking disheveled and slightly out of breath.

"Ah and here he is!" exclaimed Dumbledore

"Hey isn't that…" Colin began.

"Ladies and Gentlemen please welcome Profesor Harry Potter!"

Everyone went completely silent, staring, including the teachers at the front of the room. Ginny squealed and clapped her hands over her mouth. Then suddenly, as though it had dawned on everyone, particularly the girls, who their Defense teacher was going to be, there was an ear-splitting applause. Harry flushed and waved at everyone, making his way up to the staff table and shaking Dumbledore's hand. When Dumbledore gave the signal for everyone to begin, the students ate and gossiped, murmurs of Harry Potter popping up around the room for the entire dinner.

Ginny made her way slowly from the great hall towards the Gryffindor dormitory, glancing behind her occasionally in hopes of catching sight of her boyfriend. When she decided he wasn't coming she sighed and turned, speeding up to catch up with Colin. Just as she had rounded the corner to where the fat ladies' portrait was there was a shout.

"Ginny!"

Ginny whirled to see Harry trotting up the stairs towards her. She squealed and ran to him, meeting him half way on the flight of stairs to the fat lady. He laughed as she flung herself on him and whirled her around.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she exclaimed, face buried in his shoulder.

Harry set her down grinning.

"Well I only found out at King's Cross and then I decided to make it a surprise," he said, eyes twinkling.

Ginny punched him playfully in the ribs.

"Does this mean you're not an auror anymore?" she asked as he began walking her to her House.   
Harry shook his head.

"No I'm still an auror, I'm just on leave, which means I don't have to be called in to serve or be put on duty."

"Yes well you'd do it anyway knowing you," she said affectionately.

They stopped in front of the portrait.

"Can't go in there," Harry said apologetically.

Ginny nodded.

"I suppose you've got some nice set of rooms," she said leaning against the wall.

Harry shrugged,

"Haven't seen them yet but I suppose."

He leaned down and kissed her deeply, just as the portrait swung open.

"Gin…oh, sorry!" Colin exclaimed head poking out from the portrait hole, taking in Harry and Ginny.

The two broke apart. Harry grinned.

"Hello Colin," he said good-naturedly.

Colin blushed heavily.

"I'll just ah…leave you to it then," and sucked his head back inside the portrait hole before they could reply.

Harry kissed Ginny again and pulled away, resting his forehead on hers.

"Dumbledore hinted at some arrangements," he whispered to her.

"I think we can just be a regular couple on weekends, you might even be able to come stay the night in my rooms a few nights as long as it doesn't cause too much of a stir," he told her mischievously.   
Ginny chuckled and pecked him on the nose.

"Hermione would be scandalized," she whispered back.

"Yes well so would McGonagall," Harry replied, tickling her in the ribs.

Ginny squealed and stepped back. She gave the fat lady the password and stepped inside the portrait hole.

"Well lets just not get caught then," she told him and blew a kiss.

Harry winked and left her there.

Harry made his way tiredly down to the great hall the next morning for breakfast, dressed in proper wizarding robes. He still wore his boots, and had attempted to organize his hair a little bit, but it was having none of it and lay in its usual disarray all over his head, just brushing the tops of his ears and swept to one side across his forehead. Consumed in his own thoughts about his lessons for the day, he ran head-on into another person who had just rounded a corner and was also heading for the great hall. He stumbled slightly, and righted himself, stammering an apology. When he looked up, he was met with cold black eyes, a hooked nose and greasy black hair.

"Professor Snape," Harry stated in surprise.

He quickly recovered.

"How nice to see you," he said politely.

Snape raised one eyebrow. It practically disappeared into his hairline.

"Oh come now Potter I sure you are no less happy to see me than I am to see you," he said matter-of-factly. "And of course, please call me Severus," he said, tone unnaturally sweet, "We are…colleagues now," he said, left nostril twitching slightly.

Harry gave his fakest smile.

"Well in that case please call me Harry," he said, falsely amiable.

They stood in an awkward silence for a few moments. Snape cleared his throat.

"Shall we go to breakfast then?" he asked Harry.

"Of course," Harry murmured, not incredibly happy with his company but complying all the same. Although the conversation was strained, and less that good-humored, Harry knew that his relationship with Severus Snape had changed considerably. It was no longer downright hate fueled by false accusations and unjustified assumptions, but a sort of mutual respect for each other's position and occupation and a mutual dislike of each other's personality. Harry thought Snape was an out-dated, pessimistic, overly educated idiot, and Snape thought Harry was an underage, overly optimistic, cocky twerp. When they reached the great hall they sat in their usual positions, unfortunately right next to each other, at which point Harry decided that ignoring his former potions teacher would be best. Moments later Dumbledore appeared, rather suddenly from behind, and took his place at the center, right next to Harry. Many students were already in the hall, and more were filing in, eager for the post to arrive and the term to begin. Dumbledore leaned over and spoke to Harry.

"I must thank you again for your help Harry," Dumbledore said.

Harry put down his fork and swallowed.

"It was nothing Albus…may I call you Albus?" Harry asked uncertainly.

"But of course, we _are,_ after all, colleagues now," Dumbledore said.

Harry nodded.

"As Severus reminded me only a few moments ago," Harry said with a forced smile.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

"And tell me Harry, how go the lesson plans?" he asked.

Harry felt a wave of nervousness flow over them.  
"Al…Alright. I'm still not sure I'll teach anyone the proper spells and such but I suppose it will have to do," he said hoarsely.

"You will be quite brilliant of course," Dumbledore stated confidently.

Harry didn't feel quite so sure.

Ginny sat at the table eating breakfast, occasionally throwing a look over her shoulder at Harry, trying to catch his gaze. He was in the middle of a conversation with Dumbledore. Just then there was a commotion.

"Look! Post is here," Colin said rather excitedly.

They all reached up to grab schedules from the air and opened them rather hastily.

"Oh damn! We have potions first thing!" Ginny exclaimed.

"But defense second!" Colin said.

Ginny looked down the list on her schedule. Indeed they had double Defense with Ravenclaw right after potions, which they had with the Slytherins.

"Potions with Slytherin though," said Colin, echoing her previous thought.

Ginny nodded, but it didn't deter her excitement about watching Harry teach. She knew he'd be brilliant; he was a natural born leader. She looked up at the staff table to find him watching her. She gave him a thumbs up and mouthed 'you'll be brilliant." Harry flushed and shrugged. Ginny thought he looked a little peaky, so she gave him an extra bright smile for confidence, and turned back to her breakfast.

While Hogwarts was buzzing with news of the famous Harry Potter taking the new position as Defense teacher, Ron and Hermione were encountering their _first_ real taste of fame…by association. They were sticking together as much as possible during auror training, and luckily, having just started out, they had all the same classes. Later on, Ron would continue the fieldwork track, while Hermione would separate into a specialty field that was more practical spells and good for scholarly types, but at the moment, they were learning the fundamentals. The two young women they were speaking to stared at them wide-eyed. One eyed Ron with interest, while the other spoke to Hermione.

"_You're_ Hermione Granger?" she asked in amazement. "Didn't you and Harry Potter date for a while when you were both in school?" she asked eagerly.

Hermione and Ron shared covertly amused looks, while Ron tried not to act too uncomfortable under the gaze of the other girl who wasn't speaking. Hermione resisted rolling her eyes at both of them.

"Ah, no," she said. "That was a silly rumor started by Rita Skeeter."

The girl looked mildly disappointed at not being able to get the inside scoop on Harry Potter's love life.

"But you _are_ his best friend right?" she asked.

Hermione nodded somewhat reluctantly. She took Ron's hand, deciding to save him from being slobbered on too much.

"Yes, Ron and I are his good friends," she said, making a point of kissing his cheek.

The talkative trainee's friend went wide-eyed. Then she frowned, grabbed her friend by the arm and dragged her off to sulk.

Hermione collapsed on Ron, laughing

"Merlin I thought she was going to burn a hole through your skull with all that staring!" she chuckled.

Ron grinned and kissed her forehead.

"It's my dashing good looks," he said airily, smoothing his hair down theatrically.

Hermione smiled up at him.

"Quite so," she said.

Just then, their instructor walked in, so they stopped talking and found their seats. They were in there first class of the day: Theory of Magical Combat, where they were taught what was _supposed _to happen in magical combat with a human or non-human being. After that would follow Combat Curses, Martial Arts and Hand fighting, and lastly Magical Creature Combat. They would be advancing through these classes until December, and after Christmas they would move on to their separate areas, Ron continuing with the regular track, Hermione going into Ward building and Curse Breaking. At the moment however, they sat back to listen to the lecture.

Harry sat at his desk nervously, watching the first year Ravenclaw's answering questions he had written on the board. They mostly questions about themselves, how confident they felt in the class and what sorts of backgrounds they had. Harry had decided this would be good to do with the first years because he didn't know any of them and wasn't great with young-adolescents. He thought this might help him judge what approach to take with all of the first years. He didn't need to worry about that with his next class, because it would be the seventh year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, and although he didn't know much about the Ravenclaws, he knew all the Griffindors in the year below him quite well, and knew what they had been learning and what types of personalities they had. Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Harry stood up.

"All right, everyone please bring your papers up here and put them on my desk, don't worry if they're not finished."

The first years filed obediently to the desk and then out the door, all smiling happily or at least, not looking unhappy.

Harry took the stack of papers and filed them away in the first year inbox he had placed among others on his desk. Then he stood up and began erasing the board. He then sat back down on his desk and waited for the students to arrive. Soon enough they trickled in through the door, some nodding to Harry some coming up to say hello and exchange a few words before heading to their seats, others merely nodding to him. Harry nodded to Ginny and Colin as they walked in, and when it seemed that everyone had arrived who should have, he stood up.

"Well I'm pretty sure you all know me, and I know most of you, so I'll just get on with it then," Harry said with a smile.

Everyone watched him with interest.

"Now seventh year is where we get into some pretty dark stuff, and some pretty tricky stuff. We will, of course, be covering a range of spells, but this year as well, we get into magical artifacts. You've all already seen the curses and the magical dark creatures, but I don't believe many have you have dealt with a truly evil magical object," he looked around the room, seeing confusion in some faces. "We'll get into that a little later on, however," he said.

He sat back down on his desk and looked around the room.

"I'd like a show of hands, I know many of you already know how to conjure a patronus because you were in the D.A. last year, but how many of you do not know how to conjure a patronus?" he asked.

Roughly half of the class raised their hands, as Harry expected.

"All right then here's what we'll do…"

He divided the class into two groups, those who knew the patronus charm and those who didn't. He then paired people together, one person from each group, and told the partners to teach each other how to conjure a patronus. He planned to watch them and see who taught and commanded better the others and use those people as group leaders for later on in the year, when he would divide the class into teams, and set challenges for them. There was one person left without a partner who didn't know how to create a patronus, so Harry paired up with him and watched over the class at the same time, occasionally stopping people or correcting their stance or giving them advice. All in all, Harry thought, the day went fairly well. At the end of class, everyone had grasped at least a basic concept of what it took to create a patronus. When the bell rung, Harry told them to practice their patronuses outside of class, warning them that he would know if they hadn't. After that he dismissed them, winking at Ginny as she walked by. She rolled her eyes at him and left with her friends.

That evening in his rooms, he heard a nock on the door. Harry looked up from the disorderly state of his desk.

"Come in," he called, pushing his glasses up his nose and putting down his quill.

The door opened to reveal Dumbledore.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," the headmaster said.

Harry shook his head and got up from his chair, gesturing to one of the chairs in front of his fireplace.

"Not at all Albus, come in," he said, hiding his mild confusion.

Generally, the headmaster would summon him to his office when he needed a word, and Harry wondered what sort of news would merit a personal visit, not that Dumbledore was at all stuck up, merely old, with sore joints. The headmaster gazed at him through half-moon spectacles.

"Do not look at me that way Harry, I may be old but my joints will survive the occasional trip up and down the stairs from my office."

Harry grinned and took the second seat in front of the hearth.

"As I have said before, you are a tricky man," Harry told his visitor.

Dumbledore smiled slightly and leaned back in his armchair, propping and elbow on the armrest and removing a pipe and pouch of tobacco from his pocket with the other hand. Harry watched in silence as the headmaster emptied and scraped the bowl into the fire, and then added some tobacco, carefully pressing it down. He returned the pouch to his pocket and sparked the packed leaves with the tip of his finger. He stared at the fire for a few moments, not speaking. Harry wondered if he should ask the nature of the visit. Then the headmaster spoke.

"I'm afraid I have a rather uncomfortable proposition for you Harry," he said, glancing at his former pupil, then looking back into the fire.

Harry did not respond, merely sat back and listened.

"As you know, you are descendant from the arch-mage Merlin through your mother's side."

Harry nodded, watching the old man's face.

"And, as you may have guessed, you are descendant from Godric Gryffindor through your father's side," Dumbledore told him.

Harry, although he had guessed as much after having receiving the Gryffindor family seal in his inheritance, was still mildly surprised.

"Yes I had guessed. I do, after all, live in _Godric's_ Hollow," he said to Dumbledore, leaning his elbow on the armrest of his chair.

The fire crackled. Dumbledore nodded pensively.

"Indeed. They are both noble lineages, one's that I would think it a great pity if they were to die out," Dumbledore said slowly.

Harry looked at him oddly. Dumbledore glanced at him, and then continued.

"Under normal circumstances Harry, I would not be concerned. But considering your situation, that is, considering the prophecy, it would not do to have the only descendent of two such noble lineages, not to mention the only person so far to have the power to defeat Voldemort, die of anything."

Harry frowned.

"You're worried that I might not defeat him?" he asked, feeling his confidence waver.

Dumbledore shook his head firmly.

"I do not question your ability to defeat Voldemort Harry," he stated, raising his voice slightly.

"Then what…" Harry began.

"My reason for concern is that Voldemort is showing an alarming and surprising amount of foresight. He is at this moment, in the process of creating an heir," Dumbledore said gravely, his voice quiet.

Harry felt as though all of his blood was draining through his feet. He went very cold, leaning to face his headmaster.

"Albus, please tell me this is some sick joke," he whispered, eyes wide.

Dumbledore shook his head.

"Why would I joke about a matter such as this?" he asked sadly.

Harry flopped back in his chair.

"Continue," he said weakly.

There was a moment of silence.

"As I said," Dumbledore continued quietly, "I do not question your ability to defeat Voldemort, but I do believe there is a possibility of serious injury. What if the defeat of Voldemort maims you for life Harry? What happens then when his heir rises out of his ashes? Will you be fit to fight?"

Harry's throat was very dry, and his abdomen clenched in fear, not for himself, but for his friends and loved ones, and for innocent people.

"What if?" Harry murmured in agreement, staring in to the fire with disturbed eyes.

There was another moment of silence. After several minutes, Dumbledore spoke again.

"You too, must have an heir Harry," he said very solemnly. "It is vital for that exact reason. In case you are unfit, there must be someone with the same power."

Harry shook his head. It seemed so terribly horrifying, the thought of creating a child for the purpose of defeating an enemy. It was not how Harry had envisioned having a family.

"I do not pretend to be a God Harry," Dumbledore told him. "And I know what you are thinking, because I thought the same thing. It is not right to create a living, breathing thing, solely for the purpose of having a weapon against evil. But do not think of the child as only that. If you love and cherish it as any parent would, it will be much more. The power within you depends on love, and so will the case be for your heir."

Harry nodded and brought his hand to his face and rubbed his eyes before resting his chin in his palm and staring at the flames in the hearth again.

"Please think about it Harry," Dumbledore told him.

He made to get up, but Harry raised a hand to stop him. He looked at his colleague and friend and shook his head.

"There is no need to think about it," he said quietly. He nodded again and looked away. "It is necessary, time is of the essence," he said.

Dumbledore sat back down, a small amount of relief taking its place among the troubles in his heart.

"You are truly to noblest man I have ever met," he said. "And the world will thank you for it."

Harry snorted derisively. He knew he should be having a fit, or panicking or jumping around yelling and screaming, but a strange calm had taken over him. _Besides_, he thought, _leave the jumping and screaming to whatever poor girl has to carry the child_. That brought up another question in his mind.

"Ginny?" he asked, looking at his hands in his lap.

"Yes, I had thought Ms. Weasley the most likely candidate," Dumbledore.

"You make her sound like a tool," Harry said resentfully. He knew he was being rude, but somehow he didn't think he should have to trouble with politeness.

"That was not my intention Harry. You know that. Do not deliberately misinterpret me," Dumbledore told him. The words were slightly harsh, but the voice was gentle. Harry knew not to take offense.

"She's going to die of a heart attack before I even finish explaining," Harry said.

Dumbledore did not answer.

"Were you going to tell her?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore looked at him.

"If it is what you wish. I thought perhaps you would want to do the honors," Dumbledore said.

Harry nodded.

"I suppose I better."

Then he remembered something.  
"Why didn't I know about this?" he asked in confusion.

Dumbledore shook his head.

"Voldemort is not making any mistakes Harry, he has taken literally every precaution possible against having this information reach you, it was merely luck that I found out," Albus replied.

"I am, if I may say so, very good at legilimency, I sensed that he was planning something terrible. When I found this out, I began searching his mind night and day for any possible clues. He was very thorough; he knew not to think of the topic at all, lest someone find it in his mind. Luckily he slipped once, for the briefest of seconds. It happened to be in a time when I was searching his mind."

Harry whistled.

"Luck indeed," he said.

They sat for a long time, silent, each deep in his own thoughts. It was a while before either moved, and even then only began there came another knock on the door. Harry looked at the clock above the mantlepiece, it was eleven o'clock on a Friday night. Harry was unfortunately not looking forward to the weekend.

"Come in," he called for the second time that night.

He and Dumbledore turned in their chairs to see who it was. Someone peeked in, and then opened the door more fully. It was Ginny. Harry felt the blood drain from his face. He should have been expecting her, but the possibility of her visiting had left his mind along with every other thought upon hearing what Albus had to say. She looked curiously at Harry's expression, before noticing the headmaster.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, "I'm so sorry! I'll just go…" she began, stepping back a step.

Dumbledore rose.

"Not at all Ms. Weasley, I was just leaving," he said.

Ginny stared at him. He did not have the tint of amusement, nor the sparkle in his eye that he normally had upon catching students out of bed after hours.

"Come in, come in, I will leave you two here."

He turned to Harry. They exchanged very grim looks; Harry's was mildly panicked. Then he turned and left the room. Ginny faced him, taking in his expression, mouth opening slightly, waiting for the door to close behind the headmaster before speaking.

"What was all that about?" she gasped when she heard the door shut, worry bubbling up inside her.

Harry grimaced in what looked like pain or maybe just very acute mental stress and clenched his fists. He stood up and went to her, placing his hands on her arms and staring into her eyes. Such beautiful eyes, he thought.

"You know I love you, don't you Gin?" he asked her.

Ginny froze.

"Harry," she said slowly, beginning to get scared. "What's wrong?"

"Don't you?" he persisted.

"Yes!" Ginny exclaimed in a flustered voice. "Yes I know you love me, but what I want to know is what has happened that has prompted you to say it!" she exclaimed.

Harry looked at her with an anguished gaze. He stared at the floor between them.

"Do you love me?"

"What?" Ginny asked agitatedly.

Harry looked back up at her.

"Please Ginny," he said desperately, voice cracking, "Please I need to know truthfully. Do you love me?"

Ginny realized she wasn't going to get any other answers until she gave him one of her own. She stared directly at him very seriously, and placed her palms on his cheeks.

"Yes Harry, I love you," she said unwaveringly.

Harry sighed and half-collapsed on her, burying his head in her shoulder.

"You won't in a moment," he mumbled.

Ginny stroked his back. _What the hell does that mean? _She wondered in a alarm. After a few minutes Harry straightened, took her hands and led her from his study into the bedroom, where he pulled her too the large canopy bed and sat down. He gestured next to him.

"Get comfortable," he told her quietly.

Ginny arranged herself cross-legged on the bed. She stared at Harry. He made no move to say anything for a while. Suddenly he stood up, went back into the study and returned with his pensieve in hand. He placed it on a coffee table at the foot of the four-poster and pulled out his wand. He waved it, muttering something, and a silvery substance flowed from his temple to the tip of his wand as he drew the tip away from his head. He directed the threat of silver to the basin and deposited it there. He poked the substance in the pensieve with his wand until he had found the memory he had just placed in it and beckoned to Ginny. She went over to him, shaking slightly and gripped his hand as they both leaned over the basin, and disappeared.


	4. Chapter III

CHAPTER III

WARNING: Although I don't think anything in this chapter goes above the PG-13 rating, there are some scenes that have sexual content in them, even if it isn't very blatant. You may skip over them if you don't wish to read them, and if you do read them and think that they are R rated situations, please say so in a review and I will change my rating. Thanks!

Ginny stared wide-eyed at the space in front of here, where the pensieve was, feeling lost. _Mother of Merlin show me the way, for I am lost, _Ginny prayed silently. It was a saying her grandmother used to use, but oddly fitting. Harry stood next to her, at the foot of the bed, eyes pleading, hands gripped together and white-knuckled. Suddenly, it all seemed to sink in. She felt waves of hot and cold in dread, her eyes welled up, she began to cry. It was all too overwhelming.

"I'm only seventeen," she wailed, throwing her hands up in frustration.

This was _not_ how she had envisioned starting a family. She and Harry had barely been together for a month. Harry walked over and placed his arms around her. She clung do him desperately, tears poring down her cheeks soaking through his professor's robes. He buried his face in her hair.

"You don't have to do it," he whispered. "We'll find another way," he said defiantly, voice cracking. He sounded on the verge of tears himself.

Ginny looked up at him.

"No," she faltered, feeling scared and helpless and angry all at the same time. "This whole thing depends on love Harry don't you see Harry?" she voice rising, "I don't have a choice! I will not have you having a child with a woman you barely know!" she shouted, struggling in his grip. He held on to her tightly, looking tormented, as though he thought he had caused all this. A small part of Ginny's brain reminded her that he probably _did_ think he'd caused all of it, but she ignored it.

"A kid deserves more than that," she said whispered vulnerably, and burst back into tears. Something inside her was screaming, _What are you doing?!_ She ignored it, and began to shake.

"Ginny?" he asked in concern looking at her face.

She didn't look at him, but stared fixedly at the pensieve, face devoid of emotion, except that she was still sobbing uncontrollably. Her eyes were empty through the tears, but she began to shake more violently.

"Ginny!" Harry shouted. He pulled her close, and forced her to look into his face, but she would not meet his eyes.

"Ginny, look at me!" he said forcefully. He kissed her, and felt her forehead with his palm. She seemed perfectly okay, except that she refused to hear him.

"Ginny listen to me," he said, pressing his forehead to hers, looking at her. "Listen, you're in shock, you need sleep. There isn't any pressure Ginny, you don't have to do anything you don't want to. I'm here for you…I'll always be here for you," he whispered in a rush, voice cracking. He felt hot tears in his eyes.

Finally, Ginny looked at him with blurred vision.

"Do you understand?" Harry asked anxiously.

Ginny nodded fractionally, then her eyes slid out of focus and she fell.

"Shit!" Harry cursed.

He caught her before she hit the ground and swept her up into his arms, carrying her to the bed and laying her down softly. He felt her pulse, which was normal, and her breathing seemed calm. When he was sure she was alright he sighed, sagging. For now she would sleep. He removed her shoes, and feeling daring, undressed her down to her undergarments and pulled the she sheets and the fluffy comforter around her. He kissed her cheek. She sighed in her sleep, and rolled over. Harry turned off the light in the bedroom, and went to the study. He took a pinch of powder from a box on the mantelpiece and tossed it in the flames.

"Professor Dumbledore's office," he said quietly.

Momentarily, Dumbledore's head appeared in the flames.

"Harry," the headmaster stated.

"Can you have the Weasley family and Hermione up here tomorrow?" Harry asked in a dead voice.

Dumbledore sighed.

"I can do that," he said sadly.

Harry nodded and said goodnight.

The next morning, promptly at eight there was a nock on the door to the study, Harry waved his hand from where he sat at his desk, making sure the bedroom door was closed firmly.

"Come in," he croaked.

The door opened to reveal Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Bill, Charlie, and lastly Percy as they walked into the room.

Hermione took one look at Harry and gave a soft gasp, her hand flying to her mouth. He looked terrible. His eyes were glazed and slightly bloodshot, there were dark bags under them, his clothes were rumbled and his hair stood at odd angles and was even more disheveled than usual.

Mrs. Weasley rushed to the fireplace and immediately summoned tea and breakfast for everyone from the kitchen's.

"Harry…" Hermione trailed off in concern.

"It's all right Hermione I just haven't slept all night," Harry croaked, voice parched and scratchy, removing his glasses and rubbing a hand over his eyes.

He motioned for everyone to sit, some took the couch, some the armchairs, and those who were left took the floor. Harry did not get up from behind his desk.

"Now before you all ask, I have to ask you please refrain from gasping in horror at what I'm about to tell you, because I'm tired and grumpy and I have a reason for what I'm about to say."

When everyone seemed to have nodded in agreement Harry spoke.

"Ginny is currently in the next room, sleeping in my bed, and she's only wearing her underwear so if she walks in, don't be too shocked," Harry said.

Harry eyed the Weasley family, all of whom seemed to be trying very hard not to jump to conclusions.

"Thank you," Harry told them.

He got up, putting his glasses back on, pulled his wand from his pocket and walked around the desk to a cupboard in the wall next to it. He opened it to reveal his pensieve. He prodded it, finding the same memory he had shown Ginny the night before and turned to his visitors. They all were beginning to look worried.

"I had a disturbing discussion with Albus last night," Harry said quietly.

"I think it's best if you heard it yourselves."

He brought the pensieve over to the coffee table in the middle of the room and beckoned to everyone. They all crowded around it, magically fitting so they could all see the bowl, and within seconds, had disappeared. Harry stayed. He went into the bedroom to find Ginny sitting up in bed, looking tired and confused. When she saw Harry she seemed to remember because an expression a controlled terror crossed her features and she flopped back on the bed. Harry went over and kissed her on the forehead.

"You look terrible," she told him.

Harry gave a short, weak smile.

"Did you sleep?" she asked.

Harry shook his head.

"Well, glad to know you're as unhappy about this as I am," she said.

Harry nodded.

"Your family's here, their in the pensieve right now, I thought they should know," he said.

Ginny nodded.

"I'm glad you did it, I wouldn't have been able to get one word out," Ginny told him. She stretched, the sheet uncovering her down to her midriff. She wore a very becoming white lacy bra. Harry averted his eyes, but then felt a hand on his cheek, pulling his head back to look at his girlfriend.

"If we're going to have kids together you may as well be able to look at me," Ginny said in resignation.

Harry sighed in relief and sank down on the bed beside her.

"You'll do it?" he said. "I really don't want to have kids with someone I don't love. I know it's a terrible time for both of us, I'm so sorry…" he babbled.

Ginny raised a hand and covered his mouth gently, sitting up as she did so.

"I'll do it, we'll get through this together," she said.

She leaned forward and kissed him firmly on the lips, before poking him to get him to move. She got out of bed, and stretched standing up. Harry averted his eyes again, although somewhat reluctantly, as it was a thoroughly enjoyable sight.

"Stop doing that!" Ginny exclaimed.

Harry looked back at her slowly, blushing.

"Sorry," he said. "I was just…"

"I know," Ginny said.

Harry got up and kissed her again, feeling lightheaded at holding a half-naked beautiful woman.

"Your family should be finishing with that memory sometime soon," he whispered, pulling away. He went to the closet and pulled out a red, satiny lounge robe with a Hogwarts patch on the front. They were given to all the professors. He gave it to her. Ginny smiled weakly at him and put it on, tying the sash around her. She put her hair up with a hair-tie and walked into the study (that doubled as a sitting room) of Harry's quarters. Sure enough, the room was empty for only a second when people began to reappear around the pensieve. Harry came up behind her, putting an arm around her waist and they stood like that in the doorway watching. One by one the whole family turned, the expressions on their faces ranging from horror to pity to terror, surprise, fear, any number of emotions.

"Oh!" Mrs. Weasley, exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hands as she took in her daughter. Her eyes welled up as Ginny's had the night before, and she turned to Arthur's embrace.

Hermione, and surprisingly Ron, looked at them in sympathy.

Ron came up to Ginny and did something that would surprise the whole family for years to come. He seemed to be the first one to figure out that what Harry and Ginny needed at that moment was unconditional support rather that persuasions and arguments. He raised his hands and placed one on each side of Ginny's head, and kissed her forehead. Then he pulled her into a hug and rested his cheek on the top of her head, looking at Harry.

"You two are going to be the best damn parents that baby could ever have," he said quietly.

That set Ginny off again because she began to cry into his sweater, but this time more in helplessness and gratitude rather than rebellion. Hermione came over and hugged Harry, and that prompted the rest of the family. That is, the rest of the family except Percy. He stood his ground, looking thoroughly scandalized.

"Mum? You're not honestly about to just let them go through with this? It's completely preposterous, I for one, and horrified!" He said indignantly. Ginny looked up from the embrace of her brother, cheeks red, tears stopped, and glared at him venomously.

"Do you think this is easy Percy?" she spat scathingly.

Percy looked at her as though she was a small child who didn't understand. His brothers saw the look, and began to get surly. Charlie cracked his knuckles. Percy failed to notice.

"Ginny, I don't think you quite understand what you're getting yourself into…"

"WHAT?" Ginny shrieked.

She tore herself from Ron's embrace and marched over to her other brother, looking fit to kill.

"Percy Weasley!" came Molly's voice, but Ginny held up a hand.

"No mum, It's fine, let him talk," She said, flushed red, knuckles clenched tightly.

Harry took a step forward, struggling to control his own temper, but Hermione placed a restraining hand on him.

"You have a problem with this Percy?" Ginny asked in a deadly voice. "Well I'll tell you what, your problem is not _half_ as big as mine!"

Percy waved his hand, looking quite angry himself.

"Then don't do it! Dumbledore can't force you into this! It's completely and utterly outrageous, the ministry would have a field day!" he said in a superior tone.

Ginny chuckled humorlessly.

"Oh the ministry! Your precious, precious ministry!" She scoffed. She brought up a finger and poked him very hard in the chest.

"The ministry is going to _hell_!" she shouted, "I don't give a damn what the ministry would do, because unless Harry and I go through with this, YOU ARE GOING TO DIE PERCY!" she roared.

Percy paled, he had clearly not thought about it in those terms. Ginny grinned maliciously.

"Oh yes! Didn't think about it that way did you, eh Percy? You seem to have forgotten the whole point of this; we need and heir, to defeat another heir! But it won't work unless the child is loved. And that's not going to happen, if Harry has a child with someone he doesn't love. So considering that I am prepared to give up my dreams to save YOUR SORRY ASS," she finished that part in a shout, "You would do well to thank me, and to thank Harry, instead of going off on some self-righteous, 'I know what's best for ever individual that I meet' speech!"

Ginny finished her discourse, glaring heavily at her pompous brother, leaving the rest of the family quite nonplussed. When she had caught her breath, and was satisfied that Percy was 'convinced' she turned to her mother.

"You're not angry?" she asked.

Mrs. Weasley shook her head, still looking distraught, and teary eyed, but almost proud.

"No darling, of course not," she said in a slightly higher voice than normal, glaring at her middle son.

Percy averted his eyes, bright red and now looking quite fearful.

"You're almost seventeen and then you'll be old enough to make your own decision," she said. "You may as well start now."

Ginny nodded to her mother.

There were a few more minutes of strained conversation. No one had any questions; they all understood why it was necessary that it be Ginny after hearing Dumbledore, excluding Percy. After a few minutes, Percy , Charlie, Bill, and Fred and George all said they had to get back to work, because they weren't allowed to be gone long, and Ron and Hermione, after lingering as long as they could and lending as much support as they could think of, eventually left reluctantly, having been called out of auror training. Mr. Weasley left soon after that to get back to the ministry as well. Only Mrs. Weasley lingered for a bit longer, and they all sat around on the couch and in the chairs talking.

"What are we going to tell everyone?" Ginny wondered, looking at Harry and feeling a small bubble of panic.

"We can't tell them about You Know…Vol…Voldemort," she corrected her self.

Harry and Mrs. Weasley sat in silence, thinking. There was a whoosh in the fireplace and the headmaster stepped through the flames, interrupting their thoughts.

"We will most likely have to keep it a secret," Dumbledore said abruptly, replying to her earlier question.

"How…" Ginny began.

She and Her mother looked at the headmaster in surprise.

"Always knows everything does Dumbledore," Harry muttered.

Dumbledore sat in a vacant armchair.

"Well I can hardly hide pregnancy!" Ginny exclaimed somewhat hysterically.

Mrs. Weasley got up and joined her daughter on the couch where they could cuddle. Harry nodded, he too was feeling on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"The earliest a child can be due is May," Dumbledore said, "not including the time it may take for you and Harry to get more comfortable with each other and after that, it may take time to…conceive," Dumbledore said all this with barely a waver in his voice.

Harry marveled at his calm demeanor. Ginny flushed bright red.

"The pregnancy can be concealed with spells," Dumbledore said.

Ginny groaned and buried her face in her mothers shoulder.

Harry rested his head in his hands.

"This is all too weird," he said.

Dumbledore looked at all three of the sympathetically.

"You give an old man some hope," he told them by way of response.

Harry and Ginny looked at the headmaster. He looked old an tired and grateful. It helped their resolve by a fraction of an amount.

"I still can't quite believe it," Ron said to Hermione at lunch. Although it was Saturday they still had a half-day of training that they had just finished. Hermione nodded, biting into her sandwich.

"It's like something out of a nightmare," Ron said.

Hermione guessed he was referring to Voldemort's plan but couldn't say it out loud lest someone hear. It was indeed like something out of a terrible dream. Voldemort's lack of foresight was something that they had been counting on. The fact that he had shown he was capable of thinking ahead was terrifying.

"Poor Harry and Ginny," Hermione said.

Ron nodded.

"Mum's first grandchild will be from her youngest," he said.

"They love each other though," Hermione said. "I have no doubt that they're meant to be together."

Ron nodded, suddenly looking uncomfortable. Hermione passed it off as thinking about Harry and Ginny. There was a long silence. Hermione applied herself to her lunch and admired the beautiful outdoor courtyard they sat in, and Ron pretended to, looking progressively more and more nervous. Hermione didn't notice though. He spoke abruptly, interrupting her thoughts.

"Hermione?"

Hermione looked up questioningly from her sandwich. It was undoubtedly the best sandwich she had ever eaten. He had an odd expression on his face.

Ron blushed.

"I know this may be a bad time, but I was planning on doing it before this all came up, and I'm still am going to do it."

Hermione swallowed.

"Do what?" she asked quietly.

Ron didn't seem to hear her.

"I know we've only been together for about a year," he said, "But this is the life I want," he said quietly.

He got up, and went over to stand right in front of her. Then, to her complete amazement he got down on one knee, hand in his pocket and pulled from it a navy blue velvet box, about the size of his palm. He held it in front of him and popped it open.

"Hermione Granger, will you marry me?" he asked, voice barely audible.

Hermione's eyes went wide, here heart dropped down into her stomach and then shot into her throat and she froze, brain not working. She stared at the ring that sat in the box. It was one simple princess cut diamond set in the center of a silvery colored band; Hermione didn't know what metal. She had never been a person for extravagant or elaborate jewelry, and this was the most beautiful engagement ring she'd every seen. Her throat seemed blocked up and she couldn't speak, she was left completely speechless. Ron took this as a bad sign and he ducked his bead, still holding out the ring in its box. Passers by on the street stopped to watch over the fence of the cute outdoor lunch place they had chosen to eat at. _Ron chose it_, Hermione thought in wonder. It was a beautiful place, the white outdoor tables with matching chairs and flower printed cushions on them, underneath and white wooden porch over-hang made of criss-cossed slats of board that allowed filtered sunlight to shine through the mass of vines that grew up and on top of it. There were flowers everywhere and the vines were in bloom, sending little pink petals drifting through the air occasionally. Hermione just then realized he'd planned it all on purpose. She looked back at the man kneeling in front of her, head hung sadly, and took the box from his fingers, looking at the ring. Ron looked up hopefully. She looked into his eyes, and began to cry and laugh at the same time. _There certainly has been a lot of crying today, _she thought.

"This is the most beautiful ring I have ever seen," she told him, voice thick with tears and happiness.

Ron stared at her and then began to smile hesitantly. Hermione began to laugh again, dashing tears from her eyes. She jumped up from her seat.

"Of course I'll marry you, you silly prat!" she exclaimed loudly, crying very hard by this time.

Ron yelled. He jumped up and caught her up in an embrace, swinging her around and around until they were both dizzy. Then he planted her back on the ground and kissed her firmly, taking the ring box from her hand. He removed the ring from where it had been nestled in the soft interior and reached for her hand, sliding it onto the ring finger. It fit perfectly, having been charmed to adjust to her finger. Hermione sniffled again, but it was muffled by another kiss. Just then there was the sound of applause and whistles and both of them turned to find they had gathered quite a crowd.

"Smile!" shouted someone, there was the flash of a flashbulb, prompting a laugh from the two. The looked at each other in delight, Ron bowed jokingly to the crowd, and then pulled Hermione close, whispering in her ear, there was another flash.

"Let's get out of here," he said.

Hermione looked at him and nodded. She waved her wand, leaving a pile of money on the table and they turned and ran, escaping through the back door of the restaurant.

A few nights later Harry sat at his desk writing lesson plans while Ginny sat across from him on the couch doing her homework. She had moved her things into Harry's rooms, something that wasn't to difficult to do because she was head girl, and had her own room, so there was no one around to wonder. She had told her two close friends, Colin and Lana, the truth and Dumbledore had sworn them to secrecy, pressing on them the importance of not divulging the information to anyone. They had agreed, and now Ginny and Harry essentially lived together. Neither knew quite what to do. Harry was not a virgin, and hadn't been since sixth year, when he had dated a girl from Ravenclaw (not Cho Chang) for seven months. Ginny was, and that made things a little awkward. Harry wondered if he should ask Ron about it, considering he and Hermione and already gotten past that stage in their relationship. Then again, that sounded like another awkward conversation that he didn't want to deal with. Ginny put down her parchment and quill and stood up, she was wearing his bathrobe again, having already gotten ready for bed, as had Harry.

"Coming to bed?" she asked him.

Harry looked up. He smiled and put down his things as well.

"May as well, I'm not getting anywhere," he said. He too got up and went over to her, putting his arms around her a kissing her deeply. Ginny kissed him back, lifting her hands up to his head and twining them in his hair, a sign that she was in the mood for a little more than just going to bed. She pulled back and grinned. Harry grinned back mischievously and scooped her up in his arms, prompting a shriek from her. He carried her to the bed and dumped her unceremoniously on the soft covers, before tickling her mercilessly. She shrieked again and began to giggle, wriggling away as much as she could, but not having much success.

"Shhh," Harry said laughingly, "You're going to wake up the whole castle," he said, stopping his assault.

Ginny chuckled, reached over onto the bedside table to get her wand, and cast a silencing charm on the room. Harry looked at her in surprise, then smirked, leaning forward menacingly with his hands ready.

"Oh, now you're in for it," he said, getting onto the bed and leaning towards her.

"In for what?" Ginny said, making her eyes wide and affecting an innocent look.

Harry smiled as kissed her again, a kiss that quickly turned passionate. He waved his hand and the lights went out throughout the whole apartment before returning his hand to wear it hand been before. Fingers fumbled at ties and hooks and their hands strayed from their previously innocent positions, and somehow, magically, the awkwardness between them vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

SEE HERMIONE'S ENGAGEMENT RING! Ask for it in an email or a review and I'll send you a picture of one I found that looks like I imagined it. Don't forget to include your email address!


	5. Chapter IV

CHAPTER IV

That morning before auror training, Hermione sat down at her desk and pulled out a quill and parchment.

_Dear Harry, _

_ I know you must be very busy at Hogwarts, what with planning all of your lessons, but Ron and I both would like to see you and Ginny sometime soon. If the times are good for you, why don't we all have lunch in Hogsmead the next time the students are allowed to visit? Send a reply back with Gretchen,_

_ Love, _

_ Hermione_

She set down her quill, folded the parchment and placed it in an envelope, which she sealed with canary yellow sealing wax that Mrs. Weasley had given to her for her birthday. She took the letter downstairs and gave it to Gretchen, the owl she had given to her parents a few years ago, to carry letters to and from Hogwarts, telling the tawny owl where to go. When she was finished, she grabbed her coat and her supplies and apparated to Auror Headquarters.

Harry stared at the five teams of eight that he had divided his seventh year double defense class into. The all stood in their groups looking at him curiously. It was mid-October, and Harry had decided it was time he started setting challenges for them.

"All right," he said, clapping his hands together. "What I've done is set up a challenge for you and your teams to complete," he said to everyone.

"We'll be doing this all year, and the purpose is to take everything you've learned since first year, and see if you could use it for real. It will give you all some good practical work."

Everyone looked at him in interest.

"Now each team will have a team leader, and the goal is to get through the challenge with as many completed 'confrontations' as possible," he told them, pacing at the front of the room. "What that means is that when you encounter an object or a being of some kind, you will be responsible for dealing with it in the proper way, if you are unable to, and become overwhelmed, you will be portkeyed out of the challenge and that will count as a failure," he elaborated before continuing. "In real life, one of those failures would mean death or serious injury, so take note of which aspects of each challenge you need to work on. The challenge is only a success if the team manages to pull through with more at least half of your original team. The team with the highest number of successes throughout the one challenge will be the winner. At the end of the year the team that has won the most challenges will receive a reward, just something fun and trivial," Harry added.

"Well that's not fair!" exclaimed someone.

Harry stopped pacing and frowned, eyes scanning the students for the speaker. His eyes alighted on Michael Corner. Harry sighed.

"What do you mean, Michael?" he asked politely.

Michael stepped forward, looking skeptical, irritated.

"Well what it one member of the team members botches something up and costs us the win?" he asks.

Harry sighed again. This kid obviously didn't understand the point.

"I'm afraid you've missed my point entirely Michael," Harry told him.

"The purpose of these assignments _is_ to put what you have learned to the test, yes, but the idea is to be able to test your abilities in a group environment. Key word: teamwork," Harry told him, trying to keep the patronizing note out of his voice. "If a team member happens to 'botch something up'," Harry quoted him, enunciating each word, "as you put it, then your team needs to sit down an find out what part of the way you are working together is costing you. Everyone needs to communicate and work together. Nothing depends on just one person."

Micheal did not look in the least bit convinced and Harry guessed his team would not be winning much until he figured it out. Moving on, he took a piece of parchment off his desk.

"Alright then, team captains are: Ginny Weasley for team A, Colin Creevey for team B, Lana O'leary for team C, Nicolas Irwin for team D, Terry Gomez for team E, Micheal Corner for team F, Christina Hutchinson for team G and Michaela Boot for team H."

When he was finished reading off the team captains he dismissed the class and told then that they would start the first challenge tomorrow. As everyone filed out, Harry turned, waving his wand at the chalkboard eraser to start erasing what he had written and walking behind his desk to organize papers. He heard a noise at the door and looked up to find Ginny standing at the there. She hadn't left with the others. Harry smiled at her.

"Well hello," he told her, straightening and walking over.

Ginny smiled back, without responding and went over to him, kissing him lightly on the lips.

"What's today?" Ginny asked, looking up at him and smiling slightly, with a contemplative look on her face.

Harry thought for a moment.

"It's the twenty-ninth, Halloween is on Friday, why?" he asked her curiously.

Ginny stayed silent, thinking. Then she spoke again.

"How do you feel about a July birthday?" she asked.

Harry looked at her oddly, wondering what she was going on about.

"Well July's always been a nice time for a birthday if you exclude the Durs…" He began.

Ginny shook her head at him.

"Not for you silly," she interrupted with a patient expression, face deadpan.

Harry frowned, looking at her.

"Then what…" He began, and then trailed of, having a sudden thought.

"October, November…" he muttered, "May, June…July…" he said very slowly, staring off into space.

His eyes came back into focus and he looked at his girlfriend's face. His eyes widened abruptly.

"Nine months," he said.

Ginny began to smile. Seeing it, Harry began to smile as well and then to laugh. Ginny grinned at him and squealed as he pulled her into a hug and twirled her around. He set her down after a few seconds, eyes gleaming.

"You're…you're…" he stuttered.

"Pregnant?" Ginny offered impishly.

Harry nodded, and then realized what she was saying.

"Your are?" he asked incredulously.

Ginny began to laugh again, nodding.

Harry yelled and swept her up into another hug, planting a kiss on either cheek, and then on her lips. Upon hearing this news, another idea has sprung into his head and taken root.

"I can't believe it," he whispered when he had calmed down, staring down at her wonderingly.

"When?" he asked.

"I went to Madam Pompfrey this morning…don't worry she'll won't tell anyone," Ginny hastened to say when she saw Harry's expression slide to one of concern.

"It's three weeks along," Ginny finished breathlessly.

Harry stared at her for a few seconds. She looked flushed and happy, but there was something else. He cocked his head, expression turning serious.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly.

Ginny's smile faded slightly. She clasped her hands in front of her, they were shaking ever so slightly.

"I'm…nervous," she confessed; her smile slightly strained.

"I'll bet," Harry agreed.

He placed his hand on her shoulders, rubbing her arms lightly with his thumbs.

"I'll be here," he told her solemnly.

Ginny's shoulders hitched, and she bit her lip. Harry knew what she was thinking.

"I know I can't really relate, it must be scary, but I'll do anything I can. Okay?" he asked.

Ginny looked as though she felt a little better. She nodded. The bell rang, signifying the beginning of the next class, so Harry wrote her a pass (they chuckled over the absurdity of it), kissed her on the cheek and went back to organizing his desk as Ginny flew out the door to charms, feeling a little more confident.

Ginny walked into the great hall that evening to find Harry, and some of the other teachers just putting the finishing touches on the great hall. Fittingly, the weather outside was bleak and rainy, with the full moon just rising over a particularly grim-looking cloud. The climate was reflected on the hall ceiling, the occasional lightening bolt sending a blast of bright light jetting across the room, lighting up the jack-o-lanterns the floated up above and casting menacing shadows on the walls. As per tradition, live bats fluttered haphazardly around the room, swerving and ducking and releasing tiny squeaks. Other students began to file in, murmuring appreciatively, jumping as there came the howl of a werewolf from out of nowhere. That had been Harry's idea, to add a creative touch to this year's Halloween feast. He smiled at Ginny when her saw her walk in, and lit the last jack-o-lantern. Ginny took her place at the Gryffindor table, chatting amiably with Lana, and waited for the feast to begin. There was the _ping_ of spoon on goblet, Professor McGonagall's way of letting everyone know that the headmaster was about to speak.

"Welcome everyone one, to yet another Halloween at Hogwarts," Dumbledore said loudly. "I know you are all anxious to fill your stomachs with everything imaginable, so I will not hold you any longer," he smiled at all of them and raised his hands.

"Let the feast begin!"

There was suddenly the loud clamor of conversation and the clinking of utensils on plates and serving bowls. When Ginny had served herself more than she thought she could possibly eat, she sat down and applied herself to the meal with enthusiasm. Lana leaned over and spoke quietly to her.

"Did you tell him?" she asked in a whisper.

Ginny swallowed some of her roast lamb and gravy and nodded at her friend. The giggled together and began whispering about babies and plans and other boring sorts of things that Ginny didn't usually allow herself to get caught up in. Colin watched them, rolling his eyes and stuffing his mouth.

"Girls," he scoffed to his brother next to him.

Dennis grinned through no longer crooked teeth. Several girls of his age sighed at that smile. Dennis Creevey was no longer the awkward younger brother of Colin Creevey. At sixteen he had turned into quite a lady-killer.

Colin was forced to roll his eyes at that as well, and went back to his food.

Up at the staff table Harry also ate the food with enthusiasm, swallowing his usual Halloween apprehension along with his roast carrots. Something always happened on Halloween in Harry's opinion, but he was determinedly thinking on the positive side. As the night wore on, Harry grew bored of the adult conversation at the staff table, and excused himself, earning a glare from Snape. Although he had been invited to call his ex-potions professor Severus, Harry would always think of him as Snape. It was inevitable. Harry made his way down from the front table, over to the Gryffindor table. When Ginny saw him, she and Lana made room for him on the bench smiling happily. The Gryffindors were used to Harry coming to visit by now, and had managed to separate, Harry-Ginny's boyfriend, and Harry-Defense professor, into two different people. Harry slipped his arm around Ginny's waist, and tickled her stomach lightly. Ginny jumped, slopping a little pumkin juice, and turned to him glaring.

"How's this one?" he asked in her ear in a low voice, placing the hand around her waist on her flat stomach.

Ginny flushed bright red at his gravelly tone and wriggled in his grip. She pressed her forehead to his, smiling.

"Shhh!" she scolded.

Harry chuckled and released her, settling for laying a hand on her thigh under the table. Ginny shot him a venomous look that was nevertheless good-humored and continued her conversation with Lana. His hand left her leg abruptly, and Ginny turned to him curiously. When she saw his expression she trailed off and then halted what she had been saying. Harry had his hand clutched to his forehead and had turned very pale, his jaw set determinedly against whatever was causing him such pain.

"Harry?" Ginny asked concernedly.

He did not respond, but gasped and balled his hands into fits, panting slightly.

"Harry what's wrong?" Ginny asked loudly.

Conversation around them stopped, and people at the table looked up from their food to see what the commotion was.

Harry stood up abruptly, and stumbled over the bench, doubled over slightly. It took every bit of his will to keep from crying out at the pain lancing through his skull. It felt like someone and stabbed a blade through the bone in his forehead and was trying to pry his skull in half. He looked up through a haze of pain, eyes searching for the headmaster, as terrible images flicked across his vision. He dimly heard someone shouting his name, but the voice seemed very far off. Suddenly, his gaze was drawn, not to Dumbledore, but to another person at the staff table. Where everything else was blurry, Harry saw Trelawny as clear as day. She stood, swaying slightly, her face pale and drawn, and then, to Harry's horror, she spoke, not in the usual airy dreamy voice that she used in class, but in a terrible, harsh, deep voice, that carried with deadly accuracy to every corner of the room.

The Father plots against the Light 

_But his vision entails his own demise_

_He wishes a vessel that will win the fight_

_An heir that will keep his conquests alive_

_On the eve of All Hallows, comes forth the Son_

_Born to the one who wishes victory _

_Possessed of a power shared only by one-_

_Unborn, but destined to determine history_

_Two prophesies in time have I spoken _

_One has taken place_

_The second so far, remains unbroken_

_The third upon thee I grace_

_Expect a fourth in the time ahead_

_Again concerning the child of Light_

_The fate of the Father will have been said_

_And the fate of the world will be in sight_

The pain in Harry's head dissipated as fast as it had come and he fell to his knees on the floor, breathing harshly. When he had gained control of himself, he looked up, to find everyone in the room staring at either, him, or Trelawny, who was being supported by Hagrid and now looked very ill. Harry looked up at Dumbledore, who face was unreadable, and the turned to Ginny. She was no longer trying to help him or get help, but was sitting on the bench, pale as a ghost, staring at Trelawny in horror, hands clasped over her mouth. Harry stood up and turned, eyes traveling from confused gaze to confused gaze as he looked around the room. No one was whispering, no one was screaming or panicking, they merely watched him. What was wrong with everyone? Harry wondered. Why weren't they panicking by now? His eyes narrowed, and then it dawned on him. None of them had heard the prophecy. They had only seen Harry collapse, Trelawny fall into a weird trance, and Ginny suddenly begin acting very strange. They had not heard the prophecy. From the looks of it neither had Dumbledore, but he seemed to have a good guess. Harry got up unsteadily. He was sweating profusely and although his breathing was less erratic his still felt as though he had been hit by a steam engine. He went to Ginny and stroked her hair.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"He's been born," she murmured.

People around her shot odd looks in their direction.

"Yes I'm afraid he has," Harry whispered.

When she refused to budge after more coaxing, he picked her up, catching Dumbledore's gaze as they left the hall to tell him they needed to talk. He carried her to his rooms, and shut the door behind him, dimming he lights and lighting a fire in the hearth with a little wandless magic. He carried her to the bedroom and laid her down on the bed gently. She looked terrified, and sat up, propping her back against the backboard.

"What are we going to do?" she asked in a whisper, looking at him for answers.

Harry removed her shoes and his own and crawled up on the bed next to her, pulling her into a cuddle.

"There isn't anything to do," he said. "We never did have any more information except that Voldemort was creating an heir. We couldn't tell how or since when, only that it was happening. From the looks of things he's been planning this longer than we thought. Nothing changes, we just continue with our lives, I'll bet he's not going to want to risk the life of his son until it is older, so deatheater activity will probably decrease for a while."

"The son is born already," Ginny murmured, as though she didn't understand. "Ours still has eight and a half months!"

Harry nodded, and kissed the top of her head. This seemed to bring her out of her distraction because she turned and buried her head in the crook between his neck and shoulder and hugged him tightly. Harry hugged her back.

"Voldemort is older than me by several generations isn't he?" Harry asked

"The age doesn't matter, it is the power residing within us that makes us enemies. I have the power to defeat him, and he has the power to defeat me, and it's for that reason that I am marked as his equal," Harry told her quietly. "It's the same for our child and his. _Born to the one who wishes victory _

_Possessed of a power shared only by one-,_" Harry quoted.

_"Unborn, but destined to determine history," _Ginny finished. "History repeats itself," she whispered, but she seemed to have come to terms with the idea, and no longer looked so panicked.

Harry nodded. She would be fine, and so would he, and they would continue their lives as usual, until such time as their child was born, and after that, they would wait. They sat there, for a long time, holding each other and thinking their own thoughts. When Harry roused himself from his trance he looked down to find the woman he loved sound asleep. He smiled, and lifted her very delicately to lay her down, slipping the covers out from under her and covering her with them. He undressed, and went to sleep as well.


	6. Chapter V

CHAPTER V

It was a blustery day in late autumn when the next Hogsmead visit was scheduled. Harry and Ginny skipped down the hill to the village, hand in hand, both wearing winter cloaks (Harry had decided to forgo the trench coat for the sake of not being recognized, if at all possible) and Gryffindor scarves. Ginny, for fun, wore a crimson beret perched at a jaunty angle on her auburn tresses, and was in a particularly good mood. Neither of them had had a chance to tell anyone but Dumbledore and Ginny's two best friends Colin and Lana about the good news, because sending the information in a letter was too dangerous, and everyone had been kept quite busy by their respective jobs or occupations. They were eager to see Ron and Hermione, and to tell them about the third party in the Ginny and Harry's twosome. They were determinedly not thinking about the not-so-good news, although they knew they'd have to tell their friends that as well. Dumbledore had already been informed, and had taken care to make sure a copy was sent to the ministry and kept under lock and key.

"Harry!" came a call, and Harry turned and barely had time to brace himself before a radiant, bushy haired woman in a warm coat and scarf engulfed him in a huge hug, placing a kiss on each cheek. When she pulled away he saw Ron hugging Ginny.

"Hello you two!" he said, grinning and exchanging and handshake with Ron.

Ron smiled and they all finished greeting each other. Hermione hooked her arm in Ron's and turned to them.

"Let's get to lunch, it's cold."

As they all sat around the table in one of the private sitting rooms at the Three Broomsticks, eating soup and drinking butterbeer, Hermione put down her spoon. She reached out her hand and laid it in the middle of the table.

"Look," she said with a twinkle in her eye, gazing at her own hand.

Ginny did what she was told, looked, then promptly shrieked very loudly and positively pounced on Hermione's hand, admiring the small jewel that sparkled at them all merrily.

Harry leaned in as well, looked pleasantly surprised. He laughed loudly, got up and went over to kiss Hermione on both cheeks. He then turned to Ron, punching him in the arm.

"Good on you mate!" he said , grinning, "you finally worked up the nerve!"

Ron pretended to throw his spoon at him, smiling. Ginny was still in a state of shock. She leaned back, still staring at Hermione's finger.

"It's beautiful!" she said sincerely.

"It's set in white gold," Hermione told her happily.

"Have you set a date?" Harry asked Ron, leaning back in his armchair.

Ron shook his head.

"Nah, we haven't actually told the rest of the family yet," he said, "I haven't had a chance to see any of them and I'd rather not do it in a letter," he elaborated.

Harry nodded and Hermione beamed at him approvingly.

"We're looking for a flat though," Hermione said, her voice tinted with excitement.

Ron leaned over and kissed Hermione on the cheek before taking her hand. He too, seemed excited about the prospect of having their own property. Harry swallowed a mouthful of soup and looked at his too friends questioningly.  
"Do you have the money?" he asked.

This was not a very polite question, but between friends no one thought much of it. Hermione and Ron exchanged a glance. Hermione shrugged.

"Mum and Dad might loan us some, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley as well, and when we start getting real auror's wages we'll pay them back. Only both of our parents are paying for auror training so we'll have to find something really modest at first," she said, sharing a very small, disappointed look with Ginny. Harry knew it was every girl's dream to get engaged, have a beautiful ring and then find a beautiful flat to match it. He stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"I know of some people through the Order who own a few flats down in wizard London, I'll make some calls by floo and see if I can't find you two a good deal," he said.

Ron shook his head.

"Flats in wizard London will be expensive as all hell," he said.

Harry sat up straight, and lifted his hand with a flourish to smooth his hair comically.

"_I_ am Harry Potter, auror extraordinaire, Defense teacher at Hogwarts and the one who defeated the Dark Lord! I am looked upon with the highest respect...OOF!"

Harry's speech came to an abrupt halt with the presence of Ginny's fist in his side.

"Yea yea we get the point, Big Head Boy," she told him; face completely deadpan.

Harry leaned over and kissed her neck in reconciliation, watching with a grin as she blushed crimson at receiving such an intimate gesture in front of her brother. Harry turned back to Ron and waved his hand dismissively

"Of course, I'll front you some cash until you're both aurors and you can start paying me back whenever you're on your feet," he said.

Ron and Hermione both began to protest, but Harry held up a hand.

"You're parents are already paying for auror training, aren't they? I'll just be your second parent," he said.

They both looked very reluctant.

"Listen you two," Harry told them exasperatedly, "I've got more money than I could ever spend in my life, even if I was to be very extravagant, this will not hurt me at all, and I can support you long enough for you two to start paying for the flat and groceries and such on your own. Once you've figured out your budget you can start paying back in small amounts so that it doesn't come out of your rent money or your food money. I wouldn't want you two to starve!" he said.

Hermione had a combination of excitement and the possibility of living in wizard London, guilt, and reluctance. Ron, always having been sensitive about their monetary situation, still looked reluctant, but he also didn't want to run his or Hermione's parents out of house and home. He nodded halfheartedly. Harry smiled at both of them, and then looked at his girlfriend. Ginny finished her soup and sat back in her chair, looking at the newly engaged couple.

"Harry and I have some news too," she said smiling.

"Two bits of news actually," Harry corrected, not smiling.

Ginny's expression clouded.

"Uh oh," Ron said, sitting up.

Ginny waved her hand at him and shook her head,

"Good news first," she stated.

Harry nodded, grinning.

"She's pregnant,"

"I'm pregnant," the two of them said in unison.

Ron's jaw dropped down to his knees and Hermione squealed and got up, giving Ginny a hug.

"Oh that's..." then she paused, mid bend, and looked at Harry and Ginny.

"Is this a good thing?" she asked them uncertainly, not knowing how they felt about it.

Harry held up his hand and waggled it in a 'so-so' gesture.

"Excited and nervous at the same time," He told her.

Hermione nodded understandingly.

"I can only imagine," she said, but then she smiled again.

Ron, meanwhile, had remained silent.

Harry watched as Ginny fiddled with the hem of her shirt nervously staring at Ron in anticipation. She would never admit it, but Ginny very much wanted the acceptance of her closest older brother.

Ron looked up, and smiled slightly.

"I guess I better start buying baby clothes then," he told them quietly.

Harry smiled, Hermione looked at her fiancé approvingly, and Ginny burst into tears.

Ginny was in trouble. She ducked as the end of a blast-ended skrewt exploded very close to her.

"Stupefy!" she shouted.

The spell flew towards the creature and rebounded off its tough armor. She ducked again, trying to think of what she could do.

"A little help?" she shouted, dodging a swipe from one of the skrewts spiny legs.

"Impedimentia!" came a shout.

The glowing ball of magic rushed from Colin's wand, where he lay on the ground and caught the skrewt on its soft underside, disabling it temporarily. Ginny sat down, panting heavily. She looked around. Of her eight team-members, five remained, the others had been 'beaten' by the dark creatures, which meant they had been portkeyed out of the challenge. This particular challenge seemed to focus on dark land-bound creatures. Ginny suspected they would someday have to deal with air and water-bound creatures as well. They had already faced several other creatures, including a boggart and a shadowcat. Ginny reminded herself to give Harry a word or two about that particular creature. She was almost sure he'd done it in the interest of a little amusement on his part. There was a strange rushing noise, bringing Ginny out of her daze and the walls of the last room in the challenge dissolved, revealing the rest of Ginny's defense class, and Harry standing on the dewy morning grass on the grounds. He clapped his hands together.

"Well done you lot, he told them with a tint of amusement in his voice.

Ginny glared at him, and shared a tired handshake of congratulations with the remaining members of her team.

"Alright, the rest of the teams can go tomorrow, class dismissed," he called, waving his wand and conjuring a fence around the skrewts and several cages of various sizes. The creatures they had just confronted now milled aimlessly around inside the fence Harry had created, looking sinister. Some of the students remained to watch him work, while most began trudging up to the castle.

"Need some help?" Michael asked sourly, as thought he hoped Harry might hurt himself.

Harry ignored the tone of voice, hopped the fence and began ushering the skrewts into their respective cages, protecting himself with a strange type of spherical 'force-field'; a sort of almost-invisible shield that one could only see when it occasionally glinted in the sunlight.

"How come you haven't taught us that one?" came Corner's voice again, sounding mildly indignant.

Harry suspected he was in the mood to start a confrontation.

"Auror-level only, I'm not allowed to teach students it," he said, locking the skrewt cages with his wand and looking around.

Michael opened his mouth to argue but Ginny grabbed him by the back of the collar and began dragging him towards the castle.

"Shut up Corner," she told him acidly.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, "What's the big idea?" he asked angrily.

Ginny let go of his collar and walked past him, ignoring his rudeness. Colin joined her, and they went up to the castle together. When they were out of his hearing, Ginny huffed crossly.

"What is his problem?" she demanded.

Colin looked at her. She caught the stare and narrowed her eyes.

"What?" she asked.

"Isn't obvious?" Colin asked with an air of superiority.

Ginny resisted the urge to trip him.

"Well _you're_ the boy, why don't you tell me what the deal is if you're so smart?" she asked in frustration,

Colin rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on Ginny, he's jealous!" Colin stated, looking at her with an unimpressed gaze.

"What?!"

"You dated him last year and now you're dating the famous Harry Potter, who, to top it all off, is a top class auror and is now in the prestigious position of Defense teacher! How could he possibly compete with that?" Colin explained.

"He can't!" Ginny exclaimed exasperatedly.

"Exactly."

They walked in silence for a few moments.

"Boys are stupid," Ginny said finally

"If you say so," Colin said, his voice betraying his amusement.

Harry woke up with a start at sometime in the middle of the night to a sharp beeping. He groaned at turned his head groggily to the source of the noise. His summoner was projecting bright red holographic letters the read _Auror Headquarters. _Harry cursed and rolled out of bed quickly. Ginny stirred, and then stretched. She frowned, looking around in sleepy confusion as to the noise. She then noticed Harry out of bed, naked but for his underwear, searching frantically for his pants.

"Your not on duty," she half-whispered half-croaked.

Harry found his pants and slid into them. He gave her and apologetic look.

"I know Gin but it's a red alert, they'll need me."

He summoned a shirt and his coat, slid his feet in to his unlaced boots, leaned in and kissed Ginny deeply and grabbed the summoner.

"Love you," he told her, and then he was gone.

Ginny sat up, worry beginning to take over the sleepiness. She sighed flopped back down onto her pillow and tried to fall back asleep.

Harry arrived at Headquarters a little later than everyone else to find a surprising number of aurors grouped around the Commander as he described the situation. Harry nodded to Aegidius over the backs of his fellow aurors and immediately there came a small twinge in his scar. He stepped over to one of the intelligence aurors monitoring a screen floating in the air, which seemed to be a birds-eye view of the deatheaters. They were standing in a circle in a clearing in a forest, and through his magical vision, Harry could see that they were concentrating there magic on a specific area. Instantly, he was alert, and he felt himself begin to get queasy.

"...they seem to be clustered around a specific area," the Commander was saying.

"Our intelligence team has not yet been able to determine the reason for this, but the theory is that they are performing a ceremony of some sort..." Aegidius was cut off abruptly.

"Not a ceremony, just a procedure," Harry interrupted.

Everyone turned to look at him in surprise. He ignored them, and continued to look at the screen.

"A procedure for what Potter?" the Commander barked; Harry knew not to take offense at his tone.

Harry bent down, tying his shoelaces.

"I only have a hunch," He said evasively.

There was a universal indignant muttering around the room, as most of its occupants became irritated that they had no idea what he was talking about. Sometimes Harry's reluctance to reveal information struck them as him considering himself superior to them, as though they weren't good enough to know. Aegidius watched the young man and remained silent. He had a feeling Harry was simply reluctant to start anything before he was entirely sure of his suspicions. The Commander turned to the men in the room and began barking orders.

"Alright kiddos we'll stake it out! Take your packs and some provisions and move out on the double!" he said loudly.

Harry sighed and tapped his wand impatiently against the log he was leaning on. Spreading out on either sides of him were men and women doing similar things in their boredom. The fourth company (the one currently on duty) had formed a loose circle around the deatheaters, far enough away for them to go unnoticed. Harry had told them that there was no point in rushing things, because they would undoubtedly have wards up, and trying to break through them would cause unnecessary casualties. As a result, they had been sitting on the damp leafy earth for goodness knows how long waiting for some sort of sign as to what was going on, so that they could regroup and plan accordingly. Harry was waiting for a different reason. He was waiting for the blast of air that would accompany the summoning of a portal into a different realm, thereby confirming his worst fears. If the Dark Lord were to achieve the goal of transferring himself, and most likely his heir, to a different dimension, it would give him a distinct advantage. He would not only have the freedom to plan his next move against the world without pesky disturbances, but magic in other realms reacted differently than how it did in theirs. It was hard to say in what way magic would function in the world Voldemort was trying to reach, as every realm was different, but Harry guessed that it would be a place where things like complicated spells could be easily achieved and the forces of nature easily manipulated without the use of too much energy. If Voldemort had these things, there was no saying what he might try to do. Harry had told all this to the Commander, who stood calmly and few feet away, hands clasped behind his back and one foot resting on the stump of a tree. Aegidius had not liked the idea any better than Harry did, but neither had enough proof or information, and planning an attack could be dangerous when they were so unknowing of the situation. Harry himself hadn't the faintest idea what he planned to do if his suspicions proved to be correct, so instead, he waited, still tapping his wand impatiently. Abruptly, the air filled with a high-pitched whine, so high in pitch as to be almost out of the hearing range of human-beings, but audible enough to drive one insane. Harry clapped his hands to his ears, ineffectively trying to block out the sound, and lurched to his feet.

"Wands!" he shouted to everyone around him. "Wands at the ready!"

Around him, aurors were stumbling to their feet, every face a grimace of discomfort. Harry whirled, signaled wildly to the Commander to start an attack, then turned and plunged into the trees sprinting as hard as he could.


	7. Chapter VI

CHAPTER VI

Harry skidded to a halt at the edge of the clearing only to be greeted with a huge blast of air that lifted him off his feet and slammed him into a tree ten feet behind him. Harry's ears rang and little white lights danced in front of his eyes. He was dimly aware of everyone else being similarly blown away from the archway that now glowed brightly in the center of the clearing. Everyone else, that is, except an unnaturally tall, cloaked figure holding a bundle in its arms. Harry, head pounding, scrambled to his feet. He lifted a hand to the back of his head feeling a wet stickiness there. __

_:Snap out of it! You have a job to do!:_

The voice in his head was familiar but he was too disoriented to consider that it was anything other than a very insistent part of his conscience. Harry watched in dismay as a large group of deatheaters (recovered from being blown off their feet) converged on the tall figure he knew to be Voldemort. One by one, they began to file through the portal.

"NO!" he shouted.

The words tore from his throat and were whipped violently away behind him by the blizzard-like winds that still swept outward from the portal. He shook his head to clear it and bolted towards the portal, knowing that the wind would keep him from getting there before it closed. Out of nowhere, a gigantic white figure appeared at his side.

_:Hop on idiot, before they get away!: _White demanded imperiously as he cantered alongside Harry.

Harry didn't hesitate, he leaned in and grabbed a fistful of White's whithers and hauled himself onto the broad expanse of back, having no time to wonder where on earth his old companion had come from or why he knew what was happening. With inhuman speed (Harry only dimly remembered that White was not human) the unicorn plowed through the backbreaking winds towards the portal. Harry crouched low on his back, holding onto the flowing white mane for dear life and clenching his stinging eyes shut against the harsh wind. Harry felt White's hindquarters bunch, then lurch as the unicorn vaulted the last few meters of ground to their destination and then…

Utter blankness.

Ginny knew the moment Harry's ceased to exist. Of course, she didn't quite know what had happened or why or how, all she knew is that there was no more Harry. He was gone. Dead. This time it was real. Last time they had been wrong, but this time there was no doubting the empty part of her soul. It was a terrifying thought. She wanted to scream. And that she did.

Molly Weasley woke to shouting.

"MOLLY! ARTHUR!" came an urgent voice.

Beside her, Arthur sat up abruptly. Molly followed him, rolling out of bed, senses on fire with adrenaline. She snatched her robe from where it draped across a chair in their room and flew out into the hallway and down the stairs as she donned it, Arthur hot on her heels. The both reached the fireplace to find Dumbledore's head floating in it, his expression one of extreme worry.

"What?" Molly gasped, falling to her knees on the carpet in front of the fire. Behind her, Arthur stood in anticipation.

"Your daughter," Dumbledore said. "Something's wrong with Harry. He left to attend to auror business a few hours ago and Ginny woke half the castle screaming several minutes ago, she positively incoherent!" he said urgently.

Molly's hands flew to her mouth and she stood up, stepping backwards into her husband. One hand left her mouth and went back to clutch his arm.

Arthur put a calming hand on her shoulder.

"We'll be right there," He said quickly.

Dumbledore's head disappeared with a pop. Molly, gathering her wits, rushed into the hall and slipped on some shoes. She grabbed Arthur's and rushed back into the sitting room to find him sprinkling floo powder on the flames.

"Here," Molly said in a high-pitched voice, thrusting his shoes at him.

He accepted them and nudged her towards the fire. Molly didn't wait for him, she bounded into the hearth, wrapping her rode tighter about her and shouted,

"Hogwarts!"

"You're sure?" Ginny asked, swiping a fist over her teary, red and swollen eyes. Her heart had only recently stopped trying to pound a whole through her back and she struggled to get her breathing under control. Beside her, Ron sat in a chair, pale as a ghost (which is saying something for Ron), leaning forward and holding onto Dumbledore's every word like his life depended on it. Hermione seemed the calmest, but her grip on the arms or her chair was white-knuckled and turning purple from lack of circulation.

"Postitive" Dumbledore stated decisively. He was standing on the rug in front of Harry's bed, while Ron and Hermione sat in the armchairs in the room and Ginny curled up in a pile of pillows on the bed, where she had refused to be removed from since she went into hysterics about five hours before. It was now eight o'clock in the morning, and they had all been up since four, when Ginny had first become aware that Harry was gone. Molly and Arthur Weasley stood behind the headmaster, faces a mixture of complete worry and utter relief behind heavy fatigue.

"He is not dead," Dumbledore continued. "According to Commander Aegiudius, Voldemort implemented a plan he had been cultivating for several months last night, one to open a portal to a different realm. He summoned it last night…" everyone gasped at the thought, "…and went through. The blankness you felt was Harry following him."

Everyone stayed silent for a moment.

"You mean Harry _followed him through the portal?_" Ron asked incredulously. It was a well-known legend that portals, things that were hardly believed to be real in Wizarding Society today, when summoned by a human were highly unstable and incredibly dangerous. One could risk death, or worse, being trapped in the space between realms for eternity. _That is, if limbo, and realms, and portals actually _exist, Ron thought, somewhat skeptically, despite the current proof.

Dumbledore nodded seriously.

"We should consider ourselves lucky," he said, surprising everyone.

Ginny opened her mouth to protest but Dumbledore continued before she could speak.  
"I mean only that if Voldemort had made it through alone, we would have a terrible disadvantage against him in the future and it would be nearly impossible to find which realm he has traveled to, much less do anything about it. The fact that Harry has pursued him through the portal gives us some hope that he will be able to destroy Voldemort or at least keep close tabs on him."

_Destroy him?_ Ginny wondered in a half-panic. Thousands of question's were running through Ginny's mind. Why did going to another realm give Voldemort some sort of advantage? Could they communicate with Harry? When would they return…the questions bombarded her from every direction, and from the looks on the faces of her parents and Ron and Hermione, they felt the same way.

Ginny suddenly felt like her world was imploding. Every carefully erected structure of emotional support on all the different aspects of her life crumbled. Harry wasn't dead, but someone she felt just a bad as before when she thought he_ had _been. He was by himself, in another dimension, against an enemy more powerful than any, without anyone to help him and no friends to support him and she was stuck in a bundle of blankets in his bed. And to top it all off she was pregnant. With his baby. It was too much, the thin control she had gotten over herself vanished and she dissolved in a flood of tears, collapsing on the bed hopelessly. Hermione was immediately there beside her, brushing her hair back and leaning in to hug her, biting her lip and looking as though she might cry herself. Arthur, Molly and Dumbledore all looked at each other. Ginny's distress was understandable but this constant bursting into tears was uncharacteristic of the strong-willed girl they knew. Molly's eyes suddenly widened as something dawned on her. Her mouth opened and she let out an incoherent squeak. Arthur looked at her in bewilderment, and Dumbledore watched curiously as Molly brushed past both of them and went to her daughter, sitting on the opposite side of the bed from Hermione.

"Ginny do you feel a little sick?" she asked

Ginny nodded, face buried in a pillow.

Molly looked at Hermione, who looked back, uncomfortable and obviously holding something back.

"Ginny are you pregnant?" Molly asked, voice much higher than usual.

Ginny faced popped up off the pillow to stare at her mother, lips parted, cheeks soaked. Her face crinkled and she wailed, more tears flowing down her cheeks before she nodded and crawled into her mothers embrace. She was much too big for cuddles but somehow that didn't matter, and Molly managed to fit all of her inside her arms. Across the room, Dumbledore and

Arthur looked on, the headmaster's expression unreadable and Arthur's that of total shock.

Little lights, like fireflies drifted lazily above Harry's head. He tried to watch only to find that his eyes would not focus. He groaned and brought a hand to his forehead. His joints ached, and the air around him seemed to crackle, it was alive, like static.

_:It is residual energy, from the portal:_

The voice appeared in his head so abruptly that he yelped. His skull smarted.

Where the hell am I? He wondered to himself, not realizing White had heard his thoughts until he responded. 

:You are in another realm. The joint and bone ache is your body reacting to the Crossing. Human bodies are not made to deal with those kinds of transitions. Your body is protesting:

Harry squinted his eyes. Things were coming back into focus. He seemed to be lying in a field of grass. It was nighttime, the air smelled fragrant and soothing, like jasmine. He stared into the sky, and his mouth fell open slightly. There was a world, visible in the sky. He could clearly make out roads and buildings, their windows glowing. The little lights he had first seen in the sky were window lights, Harry realized. The whole image rippled, light a reflection in a body of water. _What the…_

_: It is your world. This one and yours are close right now, which is why _he _was able to make a gate:_

_How…_

_: Realms do not often cross paths like this, but when they do, the making of a portal becomes very easy to any decently trained wizard. The danger of opening a portal to another realm is virtually nil when the realms are so close. The sky will reflect your world until this realm passes it completely:_

_When will that be?_

_:Not for another few months:_

_How do you _know _all this?_ Harry demanded in wonder.

: This is the homeland of my people. That is why I was near you when the gate was opened. I sensed it's opening, as did all of the unicorns, and came to see why someone had done it:

Harry lay there for several minutes, trying not to think anything.

_I'm glad you are here,_ he told White finally.

The one he had been talking to finally appeared in his field of vision, blindingly white to his sensitive eyes. White dipped his head and nudged Harry in the ribs.

:Get up young one, and let us seek cover before your friend discovers you have followed him:

White's tone of voice was as close to affection as the gruff old being was probably capable of.

Harry groaned and rolled over, then attempted to stand, only to find that his limbs had gone to jelly.

"I'm all wobbly" Harry complained.

He would never have displayed such open vulnerability to anyone is his home world, but there was no fooling White anyway, so he didn't bother to try. Something like a mental sigh drifted into his thoughts.

_:Climb onto me: _White told him, crouching down to make it easier for Harry.

Harry crawled to the Unicorn and slithered on to him.

_Weak as kitten_, he thought to himself in extreme irritation. How was he supposed to track Voldemort if he could barely walk?

:It will pass in a day or so:

_I suppose I'll just have to take your word on that_, Harry thought grumpily.

Harry woke very slowly, feeling warm and comfortable and not wanting to move or open his eyes, because he knew that if he did, things would ache. There was the smell of food and the sound of rain pattering on a rooftop. Harry opened his eyes, frowning and looking around his unfamiliar surroundings. Then, as the fog of sleep began to fade, bits and pieces of information returned. He vaguely remembered rousing from his half-dose half-meditation on White's back to see that they had reached a building of some sorts. He remembered voices, in his mind rather than his ears, one familiar and one not. Past that he had no idea where or with who he was. The sound of a door creaking open drew his eyes past the foot of the bed he was apparently sleeping in. His ears the soft flannel covering his down pillow. A beautiful face poked through timidly, long black lashes framed wide hazelnut eyes and brushed soft freckled cheeks. A full rosy mouth pursed thoughtfully below a pert little nose, and Harry's eyes traveled to her hair, which fell in a disarray of chestnut ringlets cascading down from where they had been haphazardly piled on the girl's head. Harry noted that she must have been around sixteen. _Beautiful, there's no doubt about that_, he thought idly, _but she doesn't hold a candle to Ginny_, his brain continued with satisfaction. The fact was true, few disagreed that Ginny Weasley was stunning in practically every way. She stepped inside a little more holding a pile of things in her hands, and Harry saw with surprise that pointed ears poked up through the hair, and she was dressed in soft bronze and amber colors, like fall. _A wood elf_, he thought in wonder.

"Good," she said in a soft voice, "you're awake."

She walked to the stool at the foot of his four-poster bed and laid down what looked like a clean change of clothes.

"These are my brother's," she told him with a shy smile, "Dinner is almost ready, by the way."

He tried to thank her but when he opened his mouth, no sound emerged.

She made a round of the room, lighting wall lamps with a glowing handful of magic, then exited the room. Harry, curiosity piqued, rolled over and sat up, legs hanging over the edge of the bed. He twisted, cracking his back in both directions, and looking around the room. It was warmly lit my glowing lamps, and rather than painted, the walls were raw, elaborately carved wood. The shapes carved into them were smooth and organic, and the leaf-like arabesques gave the impression of somehow being alive. The floor was wood paneled and several rugs lay on it in green, brown and rose colors. The whole effect was so convincingly natural that it must have taken long and hard work. Harry lowered himself off the bed and padded gingerly around to the foot of it where his clothes had been laid. He was surprised and pleased to note that his joints no longer ached and the back of his eyes no longer smarted when he looked at things, there was merely an overall stiffness. Harry slipped out of the thin pajamas someone had changed him into, hoping it hadn't been the young girl, and unfolded the bits of material folded neatly in front of him. The clothing was like something out of the past; it consisted of undergarments, soft bronze breeches and cream-colored shirt. Slipping on some soft leather slippers with fur-lined insides, and took a last look around the room. His eyes alighted on a different doorway than the one the girl had come through and he strode over to it and peeked inside. It was a small closet, and he found, too his relief, his trench coat and boots arranged neatly inside, along with his weapons. His old clothes were nowhere to be seen. He slipped on his coat, remembering the sound of rain and left his boots in favor of the soft leather shoes, and buckled his belt (all weapons and wand still attached) to his waist. He opened the door to the room and looked out. Instead of finding more rooms, he was surprised to see leaves and branches. He stepped further out and was further surprised to see that the room he had been sleeping in was literally part of the largest tree he'd ever seen. The colossal trunk had been hollowed out in one section far above the ground and a porch of sorts had been built around the circumference of that section of the tree for people to walk on. Windows and the door were cut into the sides of the tree and the bark remained on the walls of his room. To his left, dangling down, was a rope ladder, and his eyes followed it up to discover with amazement that there were more rooms dotting the length of the trunk and that he appeared to be in an entire forest of …the best word seemed to be tree houses. Away from him was a rope bridge with wooden slats leading to another tree quite close to his own. Not having the faintest idea where he was, Harry walked to the middle of the bridge and looked out over one of the rope handrails. He threw his magic out like a net, amazed at how amplified it was in this new world, and called for White.

: So you are awake, finally: came the amused voice in his head.

Harry bit back a rude exclamation.

Where are we? Harry asked the Lord of the Unicorns with forced politeness

: The wood elves are old allies of my kin. They will provide food and shelter for you in return for the removal of this new menace in their lands. The magical backlash of many of Voldemort's experiments have plagued them for years, they are more than happy to support anyone who can stop him:

Oh. Harry didn't quite know what else to say.

: I would be careful. Some of them do not take kindly to outlanders:

Hm. Harry said.

:Merlin is here:

I know. I sensed him the minute I woke up. Damn the man, he always meddles in everything.

:If I am not mistaken, he took and trained you for this exact reason:

What reason?

:So that you would protect the other worlds besides your own: White explained patiently.

I know, Harry gave a mental sigh, I am so tired of saving the world.

: My, aren't we self-assured: White said with sarcastic amusement.

Shut up White you know what I mean, Harry growled.

: You are tired and grumpy, White told him matter-of-factly, fly down to the ground, that is where everyone in the Twin-Tree clan eats. They will feed you:

Twin-tree clan?

: You are standing on a bridge between two trees are you not? The Twin-Tree clan is the largest of the wood elf clans. They occupy a third of this forest, usually one or two families to a tree. For most clans, the largest tree is communal, like a town center, but this clan is so big they need two communal trees. Hence the name Twin-Tree clan:

The trees are damn big, I'd have thought they could house more than two families, Harry thought, gazing up at one of them.

Even from about half-way up the trunk, as he estimated he was, he still could not really make out the top of the tree. More impressive were their thickness. The entire expanse of the Burrow could probably fit snugly inside one of these trunks as the base.

:Elves are fond of personal space: White explained

Harry gave metal nod.

It's raining.

: They have a protective bubble down here to keep the water off their food:

White answered.

I'll be right down, Harry said.

Vereo, lord of the Twin-Tree clan, sat cross-legged on a soft cushion on the giant stone slab in between his clan's two trees that served as the dinner area. The rest of his clan elders were in similar positions, all around the edge of the slab, and the food sat in the middle. The rest of the clan ate their dinner in little circles of five or six, around various campfires that dotted the lush, wild, and distinctly tropical vegetation that covered the communal ground. Talk was alive this night, Vereo mused. News of the outlander had spread quickly, and everyone was eager to talk about him and his relation to this new evil that had arrived in their realm. Next to him, the sly old man Merlin, ate in silence. Merlin was an old friend of his, and came and went between the realms as he pleased. He was apparently also a good friend and mentor of the outlander, Harry, he was called. A peculiar name, but Vereo had not traveled between worlds much; so many such things were unfamiliar to him. A flash of silver caught his eyes, and Vereo looked up to see a raptor with silver tipped wings flutter to the ground not to far from where Merlin sat. Then, amazingly, the bird grew and changed, and out of the night-shadows of the bushes stepped a young man, with disconcertingly emerald-eyes, raven hair and a tan complexion. He was tall, and lean, with broad shoulders and a slim, but muscular build. He walked with a cat's grace and in a manner that implied he carried a great burden, one that had been with him for as long as he had lived. The young man took a few more steps out of the shadows, so that he was more visible by the fairy lights drifting in the air, and stopped, looking around uncertainly. Vereo put down his piece of melon and stood, unnoticed by the others of his clan. Only Merlin seemed to notice, he smiled slightly, but did not turn. Vereo wondered just how the old man knew everything that was going on around him, and stepped off the stone slab onto the soft ground and walked over to where the outlander stood, gazing at the great stone slab that held the clan elders. He started when Vereo reached his side, apparently lost in his own thoughts.

"Come join our eating circle" Vereo told him with as much hospitality as he could muster in the face of this strange and clearly wildly powerful guest. Vereo could see the magic rolling off him in waves. He was brimming with it. The outlander, Harry, looked briefly surprised, and then his posture softened and he smiled.

"I'm starving," he said significantly.

Vereo grinned and led the way back to the food.

Terra watched with fascination as the beautiful little bird that swooped down from one on the Twin-Trees half disappeared into the shadows, and then emerged in the shape of a man, with strikingly handsome features. She smiled then in approval as her father got to his feet and made his way over to the outlander and beckoned to him to come share the food and the stone table.

"What are you looking at?" one of her friends on the other side of her campfire asked.

Terra pointed at the Elder's table.

"The Outlander is here," she said with interest.

The five other head's around the campfire snapped up. They all stared at the newcomer.

"He certainly is beautiful," Iridia, her good friend whose name (meaning rainbow) reflected her sunny disposition.

The men at the fire watched the outlander darkly.

"I could beat him in a fight" one, named Asper declared confidently.

The three other boys sitting around the fire made noises of agreement.

Terra and Iridia rolled their eyes.

Harry finished the last bite of the delicious meal and sighed with satisfaction. Across from him, he caught Merlin's eye. Merlin winked, looking to Harry, nothing like the wise, distinguished old man that everyone else saw. Instead he looked mischevious, with an 'I told you so' look plastered openly on his wrinkled face. Harry, not really understanding how he knew he could do this, mindspoke to his old mentor.

You owe me big time, old man.

I haven't the foggiest what your talking about, came the innocent reply.

Mmhmm, Harry thought disbelievingly. You knew Voldemort would try this from the very beginning, the question is, why didn't you think to inform me of it. I could have prevented the whole damned situation.

It is not my place to meddle with the future.

Harry gave a mental snort. Merlin was scheming again, but he had absolutely no idea what about, and he didn't think he was going to get an answer, so he didn't try. Instead, he rose and excused himself politely, saying he was going to explore a little. Vereo, the elf Lord, offered a guide, warning him of a few not so friendly of his subjects. Harry declined, and Vereo looked as though he was about to protest, not wanting a large confrontation, but Merlin leaned over and spoke to him quietly. Harry caught the words 'capable' and 'responsible' and things like that. He smiled gratefully, and before Vereo could fully protest, melted into the shadows, leaving most of the elders completely flummoxed. In shadowcat form he drifted from shadow to shadow soundlessly and literally almost invisibly, and observed the different campfires. He reached one particular circle of elves that peeked his interest. The girl that had brought him his clothing sat there laughing and joking with other elves ranging from her age to his own. At the moment their subject of discussion was him.

"He seemed perfectly nice when I brought him his clothes," the girl said.

Harry thought she was closer to seventeen that sixteen, as he originally had thought.

"He's an Outlander," one young man said stubbornly. Outlander seemed to be synonyms with 'not to be trusted'. Harry could see the wisdom in this, but he was still mildly insulted. There was a rustle from the other side of the campfire, and he, and his occupants went silent. They all had hands on their bows which were slung over their backs. Harry, suspicious, skirted the outer edges of the campfire unnoticed to the other side to find the source of the disturbance. To his immense anger and concern, it was a deatheater, crouched behind the bushes, listening to the conversation dressed in a black suit that fit him tightly, so he could move without getting clothing caught on twigs and branches. Harry knew he would have to be obliviated or killed, otherwise he would bring the talk of 'the outlander' back to his master. Harry morphed back into human form and lunged at the man, dragging them both into view of the elves. Within a split second Harry had the deatheater disarmed and face down in the dirt, arms twisted painfully behind him, wand out of reach.

"You should be more careful who you spy on," Harry growled.

The elves watched in amazement. Harry didn't bother to use his wand. He clamped an iron fist over the deatheaters twisted back arms and with the other, waved his hand over the deatheater's head, being sure to use less power that he would normally, because of the magical amplification of this new world.

"Obliviate" he whispered.

No one would be able to undo that, Harry knew. The deatheater went slack in his grip. Harry rolled him over, levitated him while he was only semi-concious, and banished him from the area so that he would wake up far away from where he was spying. The deatheater disappeared with a pop. Harry rose, noting with satisfaction that he was barely dirty. He wanted to make a lasting impression on his onlookers, maybe to convince them that they didn't want to fight him. He looked at each of them in turn. All had risen from their seats, and many of the young men still had hands on their weapons. Harry moved his arms, 'accidentally' brushing open his coat so that they could clearly see his blades. The elves looked surprised.

"Excuse the interruption," he said cordially, "you were being spied on. You would do well to not speak of my presence so openly. I word were to get back to the Dark Lord you would be in double the danger that you already are."

Most of them looked properly reprimanded, but from the hard set of a few jaws, Harry knew men were not taking kindly to his patronizing attitude. Good one Potter, he thought.

"You were spying on us as well, were you not?" Terra pointed out.

She wasn't actually angry with the Outlander, just testing him.

He didn't move, but he cut his eyes to her, apparently studying her. Then, slowly, he smiled. It was a feral grin that made her shiver, and she thought that he must have been doing this on purpose, to catch them off guard. It was working.

"Touché," he said in a low voice. Then he turned to face her completely, "But believe me, better that it is me spying on you and not a Deatheater."

At the word 'Deatheater' everyone looked properly horrified. The people of Harry's world had gotten used to the word and had never contemplated its literal meaning, but to someone who had never heard it, it was unpleasant.

"And what makes you better than one of them?" Asper asked, unconvinced, he wasn't about to let this Outlander command all of Terra's attention. He felt he needed to establish some dominancy.

Terra watched as the Outlander tensed. His mouth set in a firm line and he looked as though he was trying very hard to contain anger. His eyes narrowed and darkened with thinly veiled fury.

"You know what a demon is correct?" the Outlander asked.

Asper nodded curtly.

"Imagine the worst demon you can remember from your legends, and multiply it ten-fold. Voldemort is one step short of immortality, and he doesn't lack courage, skill, or intelligence. His deatheaters are no different, except that they are as mortal as you or me, and have less than a tenth of the power of their master, but that's not for lack of trying," the Outlander explained in a deadly voice.

"A deatheater would sooner rip your heart out with his bare hands than kill you quickly, and all the while he would be laughing. They take pleasure in that sort of thing," he continued angrily.

The elves looked slightly green.

He took a step towards the young man and leaned in menacingly, speaking in a whisper barely audible to the rest of the group, pleased to note a slight widening of the eyes.

"Don't insult me by assuming you can speak to me in whatever manner you please. If you think you can defeat this enemy without my help, you're dead wrong, so I suggest you get over this prideful nature of yours and start speaking civilly, or so help me I'll leave Voldemort to his own devices and all that will be left of this beautiful place within year will be a _colossal, smoking, crater,_" he punctuated the last words forcefully.

He stepped back and looked around at the others.

"My name is _Harry_, not _Outlander_" he told them. "I'm sorry to have interrupted your dinner, next time I'll let deatheater blow you all away" he said acidly, and before any of them could reply, stepped in the shadows, and was quite suddenly gone. The group stared at the spot he had been in amazement, wondering how he came and went so stealthily. Terra snapped out of her surprise and rounded angrily on Asper. She slapped him.

"You stupid idiot! Father warned us not to trifle with him, he's here to protect us out of his own generosity, he deserves a little more respect!"

Asper opened his mouth,

"And don't you dare say we don't need protection!" Terra cut him off. "You know as well as I do we don't have the experience with these sorts of beings to fight this new enemy!"

Asper looked around at his buddies, but although they too looked angry with the Outlander, they were not about to stand up to Terra when she was in a state. They knew she was right even if they didn't want to admit it. His gaze traveled to Iridia, but she looked completely in agreement with Terra and totally unsympathetic to his situation. She stood, arms crossed over his chest, mouth set in an angry line.

Before he could think of a better reply, Terra stormed off. The others sat back down, purposefully intent of their dinners. Asper sat down as well, thinking.

Terra left her campfire and wandered, looking for the Outlander, no he wanted to be called Harry. It didn't take her very long, she spotted him, outside the protective rain bubble, sitting on one of the lower braches of one of the Twin's. He didn't look angry, instead, sad, leaning against the trunk of the tree, gaze drawn upward to the world in the stars. Seeing other world's in the sky was something that happened seasonally, and Terra didn't think much of it. He seemed interested though, caught up in his own thoughts. Terra jumped up and climbed a few branches easily, coming to rest on a branch next to his. His gaze snapped to her when she came into view. He raised an eyebrow, and Terra's heart went _ka-thunk_ in her chest. She mentally berated her self for developing such a silly crush on the newcomer. She knew it to be nothing but fascination and appreciation for his amazing good looks.

"Sorry about Asper," she said quietly.

He smiled ever-so-slightly and shook his head.

"He is just being protective," Harry said.

Terra frowned.

"You were showing too much interest in the 'Outlander'" Harry explained, "I imagine he was jealous."

The moment he said it, she realized it was true, and kicked herself for having been so stupid. She blushed hotly, feeling glad that it was dark out, until she realized he seemed to be able to see the flush anyway. She was amazed, he missed very little.

"What's so interesting up there?" she asked him, changing the subject.

"It's my world, I wish I was back there," he told her with a sigh.

She nodded, wondering if there was a particular someone he was missing over the other friends he had in his world.

"We do appreciate your help," she told him.

Harry snorted.

"I haven't done anything yet," he said.

Terra didn't reply, and they sat, admiring the sky and enjoying the light drizzle of rain and the lukewarm air. It was a very tropical climate, and the moisture was bringing out pungent flowery scents. The combination of smells and comfortable temperature and position lulled her to sleep. She didn't feel Harry drape his coat around her before falling asleep as well, thinking about Ginny, and how on earth he was going to survive Voldemort without her.

Two weeks had passed since Harry had been gone, and Snape had been doubling as Defense teacher in his absence. The Dark Arts classes settled perfectly in times where there were no Potions classes, something Ginny had found immensely annoying. At the moment though, this was the least of her worries, as she stood next to Dumbledore and her family in the Forbidden Forest of all places. In front of them stood a unicorn.

:The world is still very close, it will remain so for a few months to come, it would be no trouble for me to guide her to our home world:

"You would do that?" Ginny asked in amazement.

:You are beloved to the Boy Who Lived. He has become a great friend to our Lord and us, and so you are our friend as well:

Ginny blushed at this high compliment.

"Ginny, are you sure you want to do this?" Mrs. Weasley asked with concern.

Ginny turned to her mother and nodded firmly.

"I can't say I'll be fine mum, I just know he can't be in another world without me, we need to be together right now of all times, no matter what," Ginny said sincerely.

Her mother nodded, eyes slightly damp. Arthur put an arm around her and she sniffled.

:If you wish to go, it would be best to do it now, while the time is right:

Ginny had no idea what that meant, but figured the Unicorn knew more about these things than she did, and she should probably not argue. She tightened her pack to her shoulders and turned, hugging each member of her family and Hermione individually.

"I'll try to send some sort of message when I can," she told them.

They all looked worried, but they had been discussing this plan for days, and all the kinks had been worked out as best as possible.

:Get on me: the Unicorn told her.

With the help of her Ron, she scrambled astride the Unicorn and gave a last look at everyone. She nodded to Dumbledore, who gave her a small smile and a nod in return and before she was truly prepared, they were sailing through utter blackness.


End file.
